Arsenal
James Scanlon and fellow Red Devils youngster Habeeb Ogunneye are closing in on a move across the divide this summer, with both academy prospects catching plenty of interest. Arsenal are leading the race to sign them, as per the latest transfer news.
Gunners Set Sights On Manchester United Duo
Arsenal have turned their gaze toward Old Trafford. Both James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye caught the eye on loan this season. As reported by Mirror, the Gunners see little standing in the way of completing both signings. Discussions have been ongoing between two of the Premier League’s biggest academies for some time now.
James Scanlon plays as an attacking midfielder. The Gibraltar international spent last season on loan at Swindon Town in League Two. His only goal at Swindon came from six outings. Ogunneye, meanwhile, played 21 games for Newport in the same tier before United called him back. He impressed enough to earn a recall in January.
Both players now look ready for a permanent switch. They have already tasted senior football away from Carrington. So Arsenal’s interest in James Scanlon, in particular, comes at a fitting time. It offers both academy products a clear and realistic route toward first-team football elsewhere.
James Scanlon’s stats in 2025/26, as per FOTMOB:
Clubs Matches Goals Assists Successful Dribbles
Swindon 6 1 0 3
Manchester United U21 25 5 3 10
James Scanlon Deal Fits Wider Academy Push
The interest in James Scanlon and his teammate fits a wider pattern this summer. Signing promising teenagers has become a big theme at the club. The deal for Vincent Joseph from Liverpool’s academy already sparked a compensation row. That case now heads to tribunal between two Premier League giants.
Crystal Palace academy graduate Mylo Bernard has already made the switch, Cardiff City’s Axel Donczew looks set to follow, and Elijah Upson, whose father Matt Upson played for West Ham, arrived after leaving Tottenham. Each move points to a wider push for young talent at the north London club.
The push follows a Premier League title win. Building up squad depth early on is a smart and sound move while funds and resources still allow it. It beats scrambling once gaps appear later at senior level. It also shows how fast this market moves right now. Clubs now chase teenage talent before rivals can react.
ArsenalArsenal
James Scanlon Arrival Fits Hale End Ambition
Arsenal’s Hale End academy has recently produced Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Ethan Nwaneri, alongside younger talents Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon. That record gives fans real trust in the pathway, and few academies in English football can match it. Yet James Scanlon and Ogunneye would arrive through a very different route, having grown up within a rival system.
Arteta still relies heavily on Saka, while Dowman and Salmon offer real promise for the future. Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, though, have both been tipped for a summer exit given the fierce fight for first-team spots. Reports elsewhere have traced the winger’s rise through United’s youth ranks, pointing to a senior pre-season tour and full caps for Gibraltar as proof of his pedigree.
The recruitment push also has a new face in place. Pascal De Maesschalck was named academy head, replacing Per Mertesacker. Sporting director Andrea Berta said the club was “delighted to welcome Pascal to Arsenal.” His task is to sharpen how the club finds young talent and keep identifying the next wave of prospects early. It all points in one direction, with the Gunners set to keep buying well before the window shuts.
Read More: Ezri Konsa set for Arsenal medical after £50m-plus deal
Also Read: Mikel Arteta makes Martinelli and Jesus stance clear at Arsenal
Read Next: Martin Odegaard makes Arsenal title vow after Man City win