Arsenal have opened talks with Heart of Midlothian FC over teenage striker James Wilson, with the clubs discussing an initial loan deal for the forward.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal have opened discussions with Hearts over James Wilson, with club-to-club negotiations focusing on an initial loan deal to the Gunners.
Sami Mokbel of the BBC confirms that Arsenal are working on a deal, again adding that talks revolve around an initial loan move.
18-year-old striker Wilson has already made 45 appearances (21 starts) for Hearts despite his young age, scoring eight goals and assisting a further three.
In addition to his club exploits, Wilson has also made his senior international debut for Scotland, coming off the bench in a Nations League play-off match against Greece in March of last year.
The striker then dropped back to the Scotland u21s from September to November, scoring four goals in five games.
Arsenal would presumably integrate Wilson with their u21s at first, but given the player’s senior experience it may not be too long before he gets some first-team opportunities.
The Gunners’ pursuit of Wilson is noteworthy in light of the recent reports that they’ve had another bid for Igor Tyjon turned down by Blackburn Rovers.
Arsenal have consistently pushed to sign Tyjon over the last couple of transfer windows, but with Rovers holding firm it looked as though the most likely outcome was a summer transfer when the player’s contract runs out.
Yet if Arsenal are now pursuing another striker target, perhaps a move for Tyjon becomes less likely altogether.