Celtic could pull off major coup by stealing Arsenal’s England Under-19 prospect Chris Willock – but The Gunners have another starlet waiting in the wings.
Arsenal’s Chris Willock
It’s just the nature of progression at Arsenal that, when one bright young talent departs, another will soon arrive to take his place.
And with the Daily Mirror reporting that 19-year-old striker Chris Willock could quit the club in the summer, the prolific form of Donyell Malen could have Gunners fans lauding another star of the future sooner rather than later.
The 18-year-old, a product of the same Ajax academy who can lay claim to his hero Dennis Bergkamp, has been simply prolific for various Arsenal youth teams since making the move to England in 2015.
A rapid dribbler and an emphatic goalscorer, the Alexis Sanchez-like forward has struck nine times in 18 games for the club’s Under-18s this season while adding another three in six for the Under-23s.
In fact, he’s comfortably outscored fellow prodigy Willock in 2016/17. As a result, it appears that the England Under-19 starlet has already been usurped as Arsenal’s most exciting, fresh-faced talent.
Above the border
As a result, could Malen’s remarkable progression make Arsenal more receptive to the idea of Willock leaving for nothing this summer?
The Daily Mirror claim that Willock is out of contract and Celtic could take full advantage. Clubs in Scotland are safe from being forced to pay huge fees at tribunals for players under the age of 23, meaning Arsenal could lose one of their prized assets for next to nothing – one year after Celtic took advantage of the loophole to nab Moussa Dembele for just £500,000.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
And with manager Brendan Rodgers, once the head of Chelsea’s academy, renowned for his ability to hone young talents, Willock could follow in Dembele’s footsteps and fulfil his frightening potential north of the border.
However, the rise of Malen means Celtic may well face less of a fight to get their man this summer.
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