Arsenal Targets James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye from Manchester United
Arsenal’s youth rebuild is about to run straight through Manchester United.
The club are closing on a double swoop for highly rated youngsters James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye, with one deal already at the medical stage and the other progressing after positive talks.
Standard Sport understands Scanlon has been identified as a serious target as Arsenal double down on their academy and under-21 recruitment. Discussions with United are ongoing, but there is confidence in north London that an agreement can be reached, with personal terms not expected to be a stumbling block.
The situation with Ogunneye is even more advanced. Arsenal are set to sign the 20-year-old defender on a free transfer, with United inserting a 40 per cent sell-on clause into the deal. He is due to undergo a medical on Thursday, and Arsenal are planning to confirm his arrival over the weekend.
Once signed, Ogunneye will link up with the under-21s but will also be handed the chance to train with Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad, a pathway that has become a key part of the club’s pitch to emerging talent.
Who is James Scanlon?
Scanlon is not your average academy prospect. At 19, he already has 24 senior caps for Gibraltar, qualifying through his mother, and has been a regular in the national side despite still waiting for a first-team debut at club level.
He made history in September 2024, becoming the UEFA Nations League’s youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 346 days when he struck in a 2-2 draw with Liechtenstein. That moment underlined why scouts across Europe have tracked his progress closely.
Born in Leicester and raised in the English system, Scanlon is a versatile attacker. Naturally a winger who can operate on either flank, he is also comfortable playing as an attacking midfielder, drifting into pockets and linking play.
A product of Derby County’s academy, he moved to Manchester United in February 2021. He quickly climbed the ranks, breaking into the under-18s within a year and then stepping up again last season. The 2023-24 campaign proved pivotal: he featured in the UEFA Youth League, appeared for the under-21s, trained with Erik ten Hag’s first team and capped it all by signing his first professional contract in May 2024.
He has edged close to the senior stage at Old Trafford. Scanlon was named in a Manchester United matchday squad for the first time in March 2025, among the substitutes for a Europa League tie against Real Sociedad, but is still waiting for his debut.
To accelerate that development, he spent the second half of last season on loan at Swindon Town. He turned down interest from clubs across Europe to take that step, scoring once in six appearances as the Robins finished ninth in League Two, missing the play-offs by a single point.
Who is Habeeb Ogunneye?
If Scanlon brings international experience, Ogunneye brings a different kind of pedigree: a classic Manchester United academy education and senior minutes in the English lower leagues.
The defender, a year and a few months older than Scanlon, joined United’s youth set-up early and made his under-18s debut at just 15. Born in Hackney, he is a modern right-back who likes to push on, overlap and contribute in the final third.
Last season he took the familiar route for young defenders seeking senior exposure, heading out on loan to Newport County. The spell delivered exactly what it was supposed to: 21 appearances across all competitions and a taste of the demands of first-team football. He featured in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, adding valuable experience against seasoned professionals.
There was already a brush with Arsenal on that journey. Ogunneye started for Newport in an EFL Trophy tie against an Arsenal under-21 side that included Marli Salmon. On that night he conceded a penalty, converted by Andre Harriman-Annous to level the game, a small twist of irony now that he prepares to cross to the other side.
His progress has not gone unnoticed at international level either. Ogunneye stands at the centre of a tug-of-war between England and Nigeria, eligible for the former by birth and the latter through heritage. No final decision on his allegiance has been made public, but England under-21s manager Lee Carsley has already earmarked him as a potential star of the future.
For Arsenal, this is about more than two promising youngsters. It is another clear sign that the club intend to stockpile high-ceiling talent beneath the first team and create a conveyor belt of options for Arteta. And if Scanlon and Ogunneye make the most of the opportunity, how long before a raid on United’s academy turns into competition with their first team?
