Mikel Arteta has some top talents on the way to the Emirates Stadium
Mikel Arteta at an Arsenal press conference
Mikel Arteta has more top talents on their way to Arsenal(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal were busy in the summer transfer window, adding roughly £200million of talent across all areas of the field. However, the Gunners have also been making plans for the future.
During Per Mertesacker's time as academy manager, the London club made a number of additions to the ranks who either made senior appearances or earned the club money when they left. Mika Biereth joined from Fulham as a teenager and left for £4m three years later, while Jaden Dixon - signed from Stoke in February - made his debut against Mansfield in the FA Cup.
As well as giving manager Mikel Arteta some oven-ready first-team stars like Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes, the club have been preparing for the next generation to take hold. Top talent doesn't come cheap, though, with around £15m put towards a group of players whose Premier League bows might not come for a while, if at all.
After adding the likes of Elijah Upson and Igor Tyjon this summer, five more players are on course to follow. Here, we've taken a closer look at those incoming wonderkids.
Victor Ozhianvuna
Irish youngster Ozhianvuna completed a move from Shamrock Rovers after deadline day and will join Arsenal in January. The Athletic reports the fee at £1.7m, breaking the League of Ireland record set when Mason Melia joined Tottenham last season.
The midfielder made his senior debut just a week after turning 16 in January 2025 and has already made more than 30 senior appearances, including three in Europe. Rovers boss Stephen Bradley has used the youngster in a number of positions and described him as a "special talent".
"It’s about finding the right moments to play him but ability you’ll see in the next years what he’s about," Bradley said in 2025. "He can play anywhere. I’ve seen him play as a six, 10 and even up front.
"He’s a bit of throwback in how he plays fearlessly. You can see that versatility will help him going forward."
Victor Ozhianvuna playing against Molde
Irish talent Victor Ozhianvuna has already had his first taste of European competition(Image: PA)
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Andria Bartishvili
Georgian starlet Bartishvili is another who has agreed terms but will remain with his current club until 2027. The attacking midfielder, 17, has been named in FC Iberia's European squad as they prepare to compete in the league phase of the Conference League for the first time.
The teenager is on loan at Iberia from Georgian rivals FC Kolkheti but will join Arsenal next year after a £3.9m agreement was reached. He has two goals and two assists in the league this season and played in both legs of a Champions League qualifier against Slovan Bratislava in July.
“He’s a player who is incredible in one-on-one situations,” Georgian football expert Saba Sapanadze told football.london. “Extremely technical and intelligent, with outstanding vision and awareness on the pitch.”
Comparisons have naturally been made with compatriot Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but Sapanadze suggested Bartishvili has more in common with a former Premier League star. “Khvicha is a pure winger, much quicker, with long, powerful strides," Sapanadze said.
"Andria operates more centrally, behind the striker, and one of his biggest strengths is his ability to break through midfield from central areas. In terms of style, I’d compare him more to Kevin De Bruyne."
Phoenix Blayney
In late August, Arsenal confirmed a deal for Northern Irish goalkeeper Phoenix Blayney. The 15-year-old has signed a pre-contract agreement, allowing him to join the academy from current club Larne in 2027 before ultimately signing professional terms at the Emirates Stadium.
The Belfast-born youngster has already made matchday squads for the UEFA Youth League, sitting on the bench for both legs of a meeting with Luxembourgish side Racing FC Union. He has also played eight times for Northern Ireland's Under-17s, the first when he was just 14.
Blayney's father Alan is a former Northern Ireland international who played Premier League football for Southampton. “Phoenix enjoyed being at Arsenal, he felt a connection there and really likes the coaches," the 44-year-old said after his son chose the Gunners despite interest from Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
Edwin & Holger Quintero
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Edwin and Holger Quintero signing for Arsenal
The Quintero twins are continuing their development in Ecuador for now(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Arsenal's deal for the Quintero twins was announced in December 2025. The brothers will join from Independiente del Valle - the club where Piero Hincapie made his professional debut - in a deal worth around £9m.
The Ecuadorian pair play in different positions. According to The Times, winger Edwin has drawn comparisons with Neymar and Ousmane Dembele while central midfielder Holger has been likened to former Liverpool and Spain star Thiago.
Juan Carlos Burbano, who coached the siblings as youngsters, also compared the pair to Ronaldinho. "People pay to see good football. They're going to give you spectacular plays," he told El Comercio. They're like Ronaldinho. Juggling, step-overs, whatever you can imagine, but they have to know when; first think about the team and then about that."