Arsenal have reportedly agreed a deal to sign 14-year-old Joel Lopez Salguero from Barcelona’s youth academy after the player refused a deal to stay in Spain.
Barcelona have already agreed to allow Lopez to join Arsenal this summer as soon the two clubs can agree a fee for his ‘training rights’.
☎️El cadete Joel López, lateral izquierdo, ha comunicado HOY al FCB que SE VA al Arsenal. Los dos clubes pactan la salida con los derechos de formación del jugador #FCBMasia #mercato #frac1
— Gerard Romero (@gerardromero) June 10, 2018
The 15-year-old left-back joined Barcelona when he was just seven years old and is rated as one of the most promising youngsters at the club’s famed talent factory, La Masia.
Barcelona tried to get Lopez to sign a deal with them that would see him remain with the club, but Lopez informed the Catalan giants he would be leaving for Arsenal, according to a report in Sport and RAC1.
Raul Sanllehi’s influence is believed to have been integral to Arsenal sealing the deal with Liverpool also keen on securing the teenager’s services.
An announcement of the deal is expected ‘imminently’ although that word seems to mean something different over summer months compared to the rest of the year.