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Arsenal## Arsenal are set to confirm the Elijah Upson transfer, with the Tottenham prospect rejecting a new Spurs contract to join the Gunners
15:13, 19 Jul 2026
Arsenal have reportedly secured the signature of Tottenham youngster Elijah Upson, the son of former Gunners centre-back Matthew, following their failure to land Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea. The 18-year-old is believed to have rejected a new deal in north London despite spending most of his youth career in the Spurs academy.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton had also shown interest, while European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were monitoring his situation. However, reports indicate that Upson made his choice after touring Arsenal's London Colney training complex and discussing the opportunity with his family.
Upson is poised to follow in his father Matthew's footsteps, who turned out 56 times for Arsenal between 1997 and 2003. Once the transfer is officially announced, Spurs will be entitled to compensation from their rivals, according to Fabrizio Romano.
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The multi-functional defender will join the Emirates with the capability to operate centrally or at right-back. Upson appeared in six of Spurs' seven UEFA Youth League fixtures this season.
He also started 13 of the Lilywhites' first 16 Under-18 Premier League matches.
Throughout the various age groups, Upson accumulated 34 appearances for the Under-18s, six for the Under-19s and two for the Under-21s, reports the Mirror.
Upson's departure follows the revelation that Chelsea had reached an agreement to pay Aston Villa a club-record £117million for Rogers.
Arsenal had previously seemed the frontrunners for the former Middlesbrough star, but their pursuit stalled once Chelsea moved decisively to secure a blockbuster deal with Villa.
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Xabi Alonso was instrumental in persuading the England international to opt for Stamford Bridge rather than the Emirates, despite the Gunners being champions.
Rogers is set to complete a medical in London on Monday following his return from the World Cup.
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The move will generate substantial income for Rogers' previous club, Middlesbrough, who included a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the agreement that brought the attacking midfielder to Villa Park for an initial £7m plus a further £8m in add-ons during the 2024 winter window.
Rogers featured in England's starting XI during their 6-4 victory over France on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old made three starts at the World Cup and found the net twice, while appearing as a substitute in four additional matches.
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