**Arsenal midfielder Ife Ibrahim has signed his first professional contract with the club after turning 18.**
The [**teenager**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-transfer-news-victor-valdepenas-2/) has been with the club since the age of 7, and asked why he has decided to remain with the Gunners, Ibrahim replied:
“Arsenal is a very big club, so I’m very blessed to be here and continue my journey and make it.”
“The coaches want to work with you and are willing to improve you, so I thought this was the right decision.”
Ibrahim has been likened to an Arsenal legend
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The youngster is a holding midfielder by trade, and many observers have already compared him to former club captain and ‘Invincible’ Patrick Vieira.
Ibrahim has also revealed that he also been receiving “tips” from Declan Rice, which seems a wise move, considering both players are used in the same position.
When could he make his debut for the senior team?
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Manager Mikel Arteta has already called up Ibrahim to the first-team squad, and he was part of the pre-season training camp at La Manga before the start of this season.
The midfielder hasn’t made it onto the bench for a senior match yet, although he has already faced senior opponents in the EFL Trophy for the Under-21s in recent months.
Ibrahim started the first two group games against Newport County and Exeter City earlier this campaign, while he came on as a substitute versus Cardiff.
He has been a regular fixture in Premier League 2, having also played in the UEFA Youth League and the FA Youth Cup. Unfortunately, the Gunners did not progress through the group stages in Europe, while they lost to Manchester City in the fourth round of the latter tournament. Even so, the future looks bright for Ibrahim following his new deal.
[**Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here**](https://goonernews.com/blog/arsenal-first-team-squad/)