by Lewis Ambrose

Highly rated England youth international has escaped the clutched of Arsenal and looks to be on the verge of joining Premier League rivals Manchester City.

The 18 year-old midfielder has a big reputation as a star at youth level but has found his opportunities to develop in the professional game stifled by the troubles faced by current club Fulham.

The West London side would have used Roberts more but a difficult season in the Championship saw him get just 370 minutes on the pitch.

Surely this hasn’t helped their cause as he has now rejected a new contract and, with just one year remaining on his current deal, they have no choice but to cash in this summer.

International

The attacking midfielder has played with current Arsenal youth star Daniel Crowley for the England youth teams, and currently represents England u19 for whom he has five goals in eight appearances.

The left-footed playmaker is expected to be loaned out by Manchester City next season but they may want to keep him considering their lack of homegrown talent, providing they can give him enough football to develop.

Arsenal have been linked with Roberts for over a year now but he wouldn’t have made any impact at Emirates Stadium in the near future with Arsene Wenger already dealing with a crowded squad.