Last month, we reported that Arsenal had offered Chilean wonderkid Marcelo Allende a permanent deal to join, having impressed during three separate trials with the club.

Unsurprisingly, some may be getting restless by the fact that we are still awaiting official confirmation that the highly-rated teenager has actually joined.

However, there’s not much to worry about considering the season has just finished and Allende himself has played a part in Deportes Santa Cruz’s recent performances.

Having scored a brace during their 3-2 defeat to Colchagua CD in late May, the match report referred to his proposed Arsenal move and it’s likely that he will join at some point in the coming weeks before pre-season begins at the start of July.

No new developments shouldn’t automatically be perceived as bad news from the Gunners’ perspective.

Where could he play?

It’s possible that Allende would feature in the u23s set-up next term under Steve Gatting, but his arrival could also mean that loan spells are finalised elsewhere for a number of more experienced players who can play as part of a holding midfield pair.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Ismael Bennacer are two of the Academy’s best in this position and it’s entirely plausible that both will seek regular first-team football elsewhere, having already previously experienced it in England (Ipswich Town) and France (Tours) respectively.

No transfer fee has been mentioned at this point but given his eagerness to join the Gunners, it’s unlikely he’d reject any contract offer tabled and the press in his homeland still seem to think he’s Arsenal-bound.