Arsenal Targets Gibraltar Winger Scanlon to Boost Youth Recruitment
Arsenal’s push to sharpen their talent pipeline has zeroed in on one name: 19-year-old winger Scanlon.
The Leicester-born wide man, on Manchester United’s books, has jumped towards the top of the Gunners’ youth recruitment list after a breakout year that took him from League Two to the international stage.
Gibraltar international in Arsenal’s sights
Scanlon spent the second half of last season on loan at Swindon Town in League Two, a spell that gave him his first sustained taste of senior football. At international level he is already a mainstay, capped 24 times by Gibraltar, who he represents through his mother.
Arsenal believe the player wants the move. Those close to the talks say personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block, with Scanlon understood to be keen on a switch to north London.
The real work is with Manchester United. Discussions between the clubs over a fee are under way, and Arsenal hope the negotiations will pick up speed in the next 72 hours.
The key figures driving the deal
Two voices inside Arsenal have pushed hard for this move.
Chris Perkins, who arrived at the club in 2023 as a professional development phase scout, has tracked Scanlon’s progress for years. Perkins previously spent six years as head of academy recruitment at Derby County, where Scanlon came through the age groups. That long view of his development has fed directly into Arsenal’s interest.
Then there is David Horseman. Appointed this week as the new head coach of Arsenal’s Under-21s, he has strongly recommended the winger to the club’s hierarchy.
Horseman joined Arsenal a year ago as elite player development coach, taking charge of the U19s in the UEFA Youth League and the U21s in the EFL Trophy. Before that, he had a brief spell at United, where he worked directly with Scanlon and came away impressed.
When two talent identifiers with that level of familiarity and conviction align, clubs tend to listen.
Double raid on United in Arsenal’s plans
Scanlon may not be the only young United player heading south.
Arsenal are also targeting right-back Habeeb Ogunneye, raising the prospect of a double swoop on United’s academy. Ogunneye spent the first half of last season on loan at Newport County in League Two before United recalled him in January, another youngster tested in senior football at fourth-tier level.
For Arsenal, this is not just about filling out academy squads. It is a clear bet that the next wave of first-team contributors might already be hiding in someone else’s system.
