Arsenal Targets Manchester United Academy Stars Ogunneye and Scanlon
Arsenal are preparing a double raid on Manchester United’s academy as they close in on Habeeb Ogunneye and step up their pursuit of James Scanlon.
The north London club have agreed a deal for right-back Ogunneye and are now locked in further talks with United over winger Scanlon, who has become a key target in their renewed youth recruitment drive.
Scanlon chase gathers pace
Scanlon, 19, has been pushed to the top of Arsenal’s list as they look to add more high-upside talent to their development ranks. Born in Leicester but capped 24 times at senior level by Gibraltar through his mother’s side, he already carries the kind of international experience that turns heads inside academies.
He spent the second half of last season on loan at Swindon in League Two, a spell that hardened him in senior football and underlined his potential as a wide attacker. Arsenal believe the step to north London appeals to him. Those close to the talks are confident personal terms will not be a stumbling block, with Scanlon understood to be keen on the move.
The sticking point is the fee. Discussions with United are ongoing, but Arsenal want the deal to move quickly and hope the negotiations will accelerate over the next 72 hours.
This isn’t a scattergun chase. Two figures at London Colney have been driving the push for Scanlon.
Chris Perkins, who arrived at Arsenal in 2023 as a professional development phase scout, has tracked the winger’s progress for years. Perkins previously spent six years as head of academy recruitment at Derby, watching Scanlon come through the age groups there and forming a long-standing belief in his talent.
Then there is David Horseman. Appointed this week as head coach of Arsenal’s Under-21s, he has strongly recommended Scanlon to the club. Horseman joined Arsenal a year ago as elite player development coach, taking charge of the U19s in the UEFA Youth League and the U21s in the EFL Trophy, but before that he had a brief spell at United, where he worked directly with Scanlon and came away impressed.
With those endorsements on the table, Arsenal have moved.
Ogunneye deal lined up
At the same time, Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Ogunneye, turning their interest in United’s 20-year-old right-back into a done deal.
Ogunneye, who featured in several United first-team matchday squads under Erik ten Hag during the 2023/24 campaign, spent the first half of last season on loan at Newport in League Two before being recalled in January. That exposure to senior football, plus his proximity to the United first team, has made him an attractive option for Arsenal’s next wave.
A medical has been scheduled for Thursday, with an official announcement expected over the weekend. He will arrive at the Emirates Stadium on a free transfer, with United inserting a 40 per cent sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
The plan is clear. Ogunneye will join up with the Under-21s but also train regularly with Mikel Arteta’s first team, sitting on the borderline between youth and senior football as Arsenal test his ceiling.
Two young defenders and attackers pulled from United’s system, both plugged into Arsenal’s development pathway. If the Scanlon talks land as expected, it will be a pointed statement about where Arsenal believe the next phase of their squad evolution begins.
