Arsenal has confirmed the signing of 16-year-old Brayden Clarke, a highly regarded central defender from a Premier League rival’s academy.

The young Welsh defender has moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers to join the Arsenal academy as a first-year scholar.

Clarke’s transition to Arsenal was swift; he was announced as a Gunner on Saturday morning and immediately featured for the under-18s against Crystal Palace in their league fixture just a few hours later. In an impressive debut, Clarke contributed to Arsenal under-18s’ thrilling 8-3 victory, with teammate Theo Julienne coming off the bench to net four goals.

Before his move to North London, Clarke accumulated valuable experience playing 10 games for the Wolves under-18s.

Adding to his footballing credentials, Clarke represented Wales at the Under-17s level, participating in the European Championship Finals last year – a notable achievement that marked the nation’s first major finals appearance since 1981.