Arsenal have slight advantage in pursuit of youngster Fernandes
Arsenal appear to have an advantage in the race to land the services of Sporting Lisbon youngster Joelson Fernandes in the summer transfer window.
According to Record, the Gunners have the upper hand in the race for Fernandes, due to the fact that the player’s agent is Kia Joorabchian, who has a good relationship with clubs in England.
Based on the report, Sporting have attempted to convince the 17-year-old to sign a new contract with a release clause of €100 million (£89.63 million)
The Portuguese publication is claiming that Arsenal have joined Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig in the pursuit of Fernandes but Joorabchian’s familiarity with the Gunners could be a deciding factor.
What sort of signing could he be for Arsenal?
First of all, Joelson is at the right age to fit into a system at Arsenal which gives chances to the youth.
At this time last year, very few fans were aware of who Gabriel Martinelli was but thanks to a shrewd move from the club’s recruiting staff and scouts, Arsenal now have one of the the world’s brightest youngsters on their books.
The same could happen with Joelson Fernandes, who has put in a string of promising shows for Sporting’s reserves side over the past two years.
Nonetheless, the potential cost of the youngster is what could prove to be a concern for Arsenal since anything even above £25m would be too pricey for an unproven and unpolished talent.
However, the fact that a club like Borussia Dortmund – who have a high pedigree in recruiting great young talent – is also chasing the teenager, shows that Fernandes is hardly a low-profile talent.
