Arsenal are among four of the Premier League’s big-six clubs closely monitoring West Bromwich Albion forward Jovan Malcolm, after the youngster’s excellent start to the season.

The Daily Mail claim Malcolm is attracting interest from Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, who have all been monitoring him recently.

There are a couple of reasons this isn’t surprising.

Firstly, the forward has seven goals and two assists in 10 games (seven starts) this season, playing his first full season at u18 level. A few weeks back, he scored four in a match against Liverpool.

In addition to that, Malcolm is just 16-years-old. Not only does that make his achievements so far this season more impressive, it also means he isn’t eligible to sign a professional contract until his birthday this month.

As a result, one of the big-six clubs could pick him up for a relatively low compensation fee, a significantly more appealing option than paying a large transfer fee next year.

Football Insider report that Liverpool are particularly keen to make a move for the forward after his performance against their u18 side.

Arsenal made a similar move for Sam Greenwood of Sunderland last summer, which has turned out excellently so far with Greenwood helping the u18s to the PL south division title. Perhaps Malcolm could be the next forward on the club’s growing list of talent.