According to The Sun, Arsenal are leading the race to sign Bournemouth wonderkid Ajani Burchall, who is making waves in the Championship.
The 16-year-old has already made his first-team debut for the Cherries, coming on during the latter stages of a 5-0 win over Huddersfield.
Burchall only played three minutes of the win on December 12th, but still managed to draw two freekicks as WhoScored shows.
In doing so, he became Bournemouth’s third-youngster player.
However, he has rejected a scholarship deal with the Cherries, and is now set to leave for the Premier League this summer.
Arsenal are leading the race for the schoolboy, who has already impressed one of his teammates in Steve Cook.
As quoted by the Daily Echo, the Bournemouth captain said: “You could see how special a player he is.
“His first involvement was checked his shoulder, cut across a player and won his foul. For a 16-year-old, that awareness, that knowhow, I think the club have produced a really good player.”
Burchall is also lucky enough to be learning from former Arsenal maestro Jack Wilshere at the Vitality Stadium.
The Athletic say that the England international’s return to Bournemouth has upped the standards around the whole club.
Also, The Athletic even name-dropped Burchall as someone who will ‘undoubtedly’ believe in themselves and the club’s ambitions more thanks to Wilshere’s arrival.
This is very exciting news for the Gunners.
If they do sign the teenage prodigy, he will be going into a set-up where young players are trusted.
Mikel Arteta has already proven this, having given the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock plenty of action since replacing Unai Emery.
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