Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign Victor Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers, though the player won’t arrive at his new club until January 2027.
Daniel McDonnell broke the news for the Irish Independent on Saturday night that Arsenal had agreed a deal to sign Victor Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers, with the player set to sign a pre-contract agreement.
Just 16 years old and an EU citizen, Ozhianvuna isn’t eligible to join the Gunners immediately. He’ll have to wait until he’s 18, meaning a move in January 2027. But the deal is effectively done ahead of that date, with a formal announcement expected within days.
McDonnell reports that Arsenal will pay at least €2m for Ozhianvuna, with add-ons potentially taking the move above €4m and a healthy sell-on clause also included. The player will sign a four-and-a-half-year deal, which should last until 2031.
Club Brugge also made a move for the player, and that transfer would have allowed him to leave immediately. Ozhianvuna has instead opted to transfer in 2027, having already met with Per Mertesacker and visited Arsenal on multiple occasions.
David Ornstein and James McNicholas of The Athletic have since confirmed the reports, reporting that the deal isn’t yet signed but it’s all in place now.
Ozhianvuna has already completed his medical, so it’s just a case of putting pen to paper and making the official announcement.
Ozhianvuna is a right-footed midfielder who generally operates on the left, making him a good alternative to the growing list of Arsenal midfielders for which the reverse is true (Martin Odegaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman).
Eberechi Eze is a rare recent right-footed addition to Arsenal’s creative midfield options, but he’s more than 10 years older than Ozhianvuna. There will be plenty of time for each of them to have an impact in north London.
Ozhianvuna has made 15 senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers so far, and The Athletic report that Arsenal are comfortable entrusting the next 16 months of the youngster’s football to his current club.