Stevenage’s Ben Wilmot looks like he will be on the move with Arsenal and Tottenham linked with the young defender who was withdrawn from his side’s squad on Saturday as a deal draws closer.

The Football League paper report that the 18-year-old seems ‘certain’ to move this summer while the S*n claim both Arsenal and Tottenham have made official approaches for the player in the past only to be rebuffed.

“We have made public our valuation,” said Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace. “The closer we are getting to that the more likely it is that Ben will move.”

football league paper 8 april 2018 ben wilmot
The Football League Paper 8 April 2018

That valuation is said to be between £1m (The Independent) and £2m (The S*n).

Watford have had a bid of £500,000 turned down while Tottenham are believed to have bid slightly less than that. There is no information regarding any bid from Arsenal at this point, although that’s not to say one hasn’t been made.

“Ben came back from International Duty with England last week and we have had developments that suggest a deal will be agreed shortly for him to move when the window opens,” Wallace added.

“We have had interest from Premier League and Championship clubs, which is not surprising when Ben is recognised by England as being one of the top four centre halves at his age level, with the other three coming from Man City, Chelsea and Spurs.”

Wilmot is a 6ft2 centreback and the only player outside the top two divisions to get a call-up to the England u19 squad for their recent Euro qualifiers. Stevenage play in League Two.

Until 12 months ago he was playing as a midfielder.

He came through the ranks at Stevenage but has only been in the first team for the past six months.

“I’m really excited but it still hasn’t really sunk in,” Wilmot told The Independent in his first major newspaper interview after his England call-up.

“I personally don’t really see what I’ve done to achieve it. I know of a lot of my team-mates, but I don’t know them personally. A lot of them are from higher-ranked clubs, and I’ve never been to that level.”

Stevenage won 1-0 at Newport on Saturday afternoon.