Arsenal double transfer plan laid out as club set to confirm two deals | Football | Sport
Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero are set to join Arsenal in 2027. Although they will initially be part of the youth team, there is optimism about their swift progression to the first-team squad. The Independiente Del Valle pair have been tipped for a promising future, making Arsenal’s early move hardly surprising.
The Gunners have successfully nurtured several talents from their academy in recent years, including Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis Skelly. Max Dowman is the latest prodigy to make his mark in the senior team. However, the club has increasingly sought talent from abroad, with a significant investment in South American scouting over the past few years.
The acquisition of the Quintero twins exemplifies this strategy as Arsenal plan for the future while some of their attacking stars age.
The twins hail from the same academy that produced Pierro Hincapie, Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez, suggesting they have bright futures ahead.
While information on the duo is limited, both teenagers have represented Ecuador’s youth teams. Edwin, in particular, has caught the eye with three goal contributions in six appearances at the Under-17 South American Championship.
The previous year, he also contributed three goals as the Ecuador U15s reached the South American Championship finals, only to lose to Paraguay in a penalty shootout.
He has been likened to a young Neymar due to his speed and skill as a right winger who can also operate in midfield. Holger, on the other hand, prefers to play in central attacking positions.
Arsenal have already secured a pre-agreement with another promising talent, Victor Ozhianvuna, who is set to join from Shamrock Rovers in 2027 when he turns 18.
It’s been a period of mixed fortunes for Arsenal’s youth setup, with the under-21s currently ranked 14th in Premier League 2, while the under-19s have had a tough time in this season’s UEFA Youth League, their recent victory over Bayern Munich being their first in European competition after four consecutive losses.
That 4-2 win against Bayern also marked a milestone, with Luis Munoz making history by becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the UEFA Youth League at just 13 years old.
Dowman also netted a fantastic goal in that match, having already become the youngest player ever to appear in the Champions League at just 15 years and 308 days old.
He also holds the record for being the youngest player to start a game for Arsenal, having been named in the starting lineup for his team’s Carabao Cup match against Brighton.
However, there have been concerns about the progression from the academy to the first team, with Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi moving to Manchester United in recent years.
