Arsenal set to lose key academy talent to Spurs

Arsenal look set to lose young talent Kyran Thompson to Tottenham Hotspur, despite pushing to extend the academy player’s contract.

Isaan Khan reports for the Daily Mail that Arsenal’s Kyran Thompson is closing in on a move to Tottenham Hotspur, despite the Gunners attempting to tie him down to a new and extended contract.

The player’s current deal expires on June 30th, so the situation has reached a pivotal moment now.

Manchester City had also shown an interest in Thompson, but Spurs have emerged as front-runners and are confident a deal will be completed.

Arsenal would certainly be disappointed in that outcome, having invested a lot in Thompson already.

The club reportedly signed Thompson from West Ham United for £1.1m, and they handed the player a full scholarship at St. John’s Senior School.

After that, the Gunners fast-tracked Thompson through the ranks, giving the 16-year-old 28 appearances in the u18s this season, as well as three appearances in the u19s and one for the u21s.

To go through all that only for the player to leave for Spurs at the end of his contract is disappointing, though it’s also not hard to see Thompson’s thought process.

The player comes from the same age group as Max Dowman, and he’s actually a few months older than Dowman. Yet while Thompson has been playing u18 football, Dowman has been becoming a Premier League champion.

The two players play in similar areas, preferring the right-hand side and operating either as attacking-midfielders or wingers. So Thompson may argue that a move makes sense to get himself a clearer pathway to senior football.

Whether Arsenal can make one last push to keep Thompson around remains to be seen, but it’s not looking too promising right now.

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