With the summer transfer window continuing to rumble on, Liverpool looks set to lose an academy star to Premier League rival Arsenal in the coming days.
Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta with Bournemouth Manager Andoni Iraola during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Arsenal
Liverpool is set to lose an academy star to Arsenal in the coming days of the transfer window(Image: (Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images))
Liverpool looks set to lose academy wonderkid Vincent Joseph this summer, with Premier League rival Arsenal closing in on a deal for the star striker.
That's according to The Athletic, which reports that the 16-year-old has agreed terms to join the Gunners this summer, putting the wheels in motion for a move.
Both Liverpool and Arsenal are now in talks to reach a settlement agreement for the forward, after the youngster failed to sign a scholarship at Anfield. Unlike with senior players and contracts, academy prospects can move more freely, but it doesn't come without a cost to either club involved in the process.
A fee must be agreed between the two, and if one isn't reached, then it is taken to a tribunal to decide how much compensation the club that helped produce the player must receive.
The compensation applies to any player who moves before the age of 24, whether they have signed a professional contract or it has expired, and there are several factors that will decide on the final package owed.
Things such as the player's age, minutes on the pitch, length of time he was at the club, status of the teams involved, and the overall terms offered will play a part, though it is likely to be a minimal fee for Liverpool considering all of the above.
Joseph was heavily linked with several different clubs this summer, with Manchester United and Bayern Munich keen on a deal, but it is Arsenal that has won the race to his signature.
The 16-year-old made his under-18s debut last season, making two appearances in the under-18s Premier League with three goals to his name, as well as eight goals in nine appearances for England's under-16s side.
The move comes as a slight blow to Liverpool and the continued pursuit of academy talent, with moves to sign stars from other clubs in the youth ranks becoming more and more common.
In the past few years, the Reds have been the biggest winners of this process, managing to land Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea before pushing him into the senior side.
Young Liverpool duo Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha.
Young Liverpool duo Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside via Getty Images)
Similar happened with Trey Nyoni, who Liverpool signed from Leicester City's academy, where he has since continued his development into a promising star for the future.
While losing Joseph is a blow, the Merseyside outfit will continue its own recruitment drive for young stars to help bolster the team for the future.
After signing Samuel Martinez earlier this summer, Liverpool shows no sign of letting up in the youth department.