Arsenal have negotiated a deal potentially worth over £800,000 for Evan Mooney of St. Mirren, though the move isn’t sealed yet.
Robert Grieve reports for The Scottish S*n that St. Mirren 18-year-old Evan Mooney could be on the way to Arsenal, with talks advancing over a January transfer.
Arsenal were initially weighing up a £265,000 bid, but St. Mirren have negotiated the fee up to over £400,000. The Gunners are also offering the same again in add-ons, potentially bringing the deal to over £800,000 overall.
Grieve writes that St. Mirren would also likely insist on a sell-on clause as well, adding that informal talks have already taken place and a deal looks likely. The Gunners would look to add Mooney to their u21 team at first.
St. Mirren Mercury editor David Irvine reports that Arsenal have indeed held talks with St. Mirren over Mooney, noting that the player wasn’t involved in Saturday’s matchday squad.
Given Mooney had made the squad for St. Mirren’s previous 13 Scottish Premiership matches, it’s perhaps notable that he dropped out just before deadline day.
Irvine adds that St. Mirren have negotiated a significant fee, with add-ons and a sell-on clause, but the proposed deal is not yet complete.
The teenager has made 18 appearances for St. Mirren’s senior side this season, though just three of them were starts. He scored two goals in those starts, and he made an appearance as a substitute in the Scottish League Cup final win over Celtic in December.
Mooney plays as a centre-forward or a right-winger for St. Mirren, and it remains to be seen whether Arsenal intend to do deals for both him and James Wilson of Hearts, or just one of the two.
Reports early on deadline day suggest Arsenal are also in talks with Hearts for 18-year-old striker Wilson, and this could be yet another case of Andrea Berta lining up a couple of transfer deals before pulling the trigger on one of them.
On the other hand, given the lower finances involved in these transfers compared to most of last summer’s business, it’s very possible Arsenal want to sign both players on deadline day.