Sturm Graz are looking to repeat the trick of turning an Arsenal academy forward into a first-team star, reportedly pursuing Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.
Pete O’Rourke reports for Football Insider that Nathan Butler-Oyedeji is being targeted by Sturm Graz, joining FC Copenhagen in the race for the Arsenal academy graduate.
Butler-Oyedeji is set to leave Arsenal this summer, having come to the end of his contract with the Gunners.
The 22-year-old reportedly has interest from a number of teams in the UK and abroad, with Sturm just the latest to make the headlines.
There’s already some history between Sturm Graz and Arsenal’s academy, with the team having previously signed Mika Biereth from the Gunners.
Biereth also spent time on loan with Sturm, as did Arsenal youth goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. Both loan spells went very well, and Biereth continued to impress after making his temporary move permanent.
That permanent spell didn’t last long, with AS Monaco quickly swooping to snap the striker up. As a result, perhaps there’s room for another signing of a forward like Butler-Oyedeji this summer.
Butler-Oyedeji will be out of contract in a few days, but perhaps the “free agent” moniker is a bit misleading. As an u23 player, Arsenal will still be due some compensation for his transfer.
Previous reports have suggested the Gunners may be willing to accept a sell-on clause in lieu of that compensation, so there’s some flexibility there.
Butler-Oyedeji was easily one of the Arsenal u21s’ standout players in 2024/25, scoring 11 goals and assisting six in just 17 appearances. Those performances earned him his first-team debut, but there was never much likelihood of regular minutes in Mikel Arteta’s side.