Sunderland have confirmed the transfer of 16-year-old Sam Greenwood to Arsenal.

A short statement on their official website said,

Sunderland AFC can officially confirm that Academy player Sam Greenwood has joined Arsenal FC.

Sam declined the offer of scholarship terms with the club and made it clear that he saw his future elsewhere.

He expressed his desire to join Arsenal and we therefore moved quickly to bring the matter to conclusion, believing a swift resolution to be in the best interest of both Sam and the club. Terms were agreed with Arsenal and everyone at Sunderland AFC wishes Sam the very best of luck for the future as he embarks on the next stage of his football career.

https://twitter.com/sunderlandafc/status/1017069713581633536?s=21

Although Arsenal have yet to announce the signing, the player himself confirmed the deal before Sunderland.

Greenwood announced the move as ‘done’ on his official Instagram page on Tuesday evening while the majority of the world was distracted by the news of Arsenal finally announcing Lucas Torreira and the small matter of the World Cup semi-final being played.


Greenwood had his medical on Monday, which looks to have been a busy day at Colney. He has signed scholarship terms with the club and will sign a professional deal when he turns 17 in January.

The 16-year-old was under contract with Sunderland until the end of the season, but reportedly refused a new deal, meaning he could leave as a free agent for a small training compensation fee.

It’s no surprise Greenwood has caught the eye of some of the top English clubs, considering he scored 21 goals in 26 games for Sunderland’s u16 and u18 teams last season.

He also provided six assists in the u18 Premier League, and earned three appearances for England’s u16s.