Arsenal agree deal to sign defender Elijah Upson from rivals Tottenham
Premier League champions Arsenal have reportedly agreed a deal to sign highly-rated teenage defender Elijah Upson from north London rivals Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta is looking to reinforce his squad following a historic campaign that ended a two-decade wait for domestic glory.
The Gunners lifted the top-flight trophy last season and also enjoyed an impressive run to the Champions League final.
Attention has now firmly shifted towards retaining their crown and building a dynasty at Emirates Stadium.
Beating European heavyweights to Upson
The 18-year-old prospect is the son of former England international Matthew Upson.
He arrives having made 31 appearances in the Under-18 Premier League for Spurs.
The versatile centre-half, who can also operate at full-back, attracted widespread interest across the continent.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco all tabled offers for the young talent.
However, the reigning English champions have seemingly won the race to secure his signature.
Real Madrid star poised to stay
Meanwhile, speculation regarding a spectacular move for Vinicius Junior appears to have cooled.
The Brazilian winger had been tentatively linked with a switch to the English capital amid earlier reports of unrest in Spain.
But the 24-year-old is now expected to hold definitive contract talks with the Real Madrid hierarchy by the end of July.
The forward recently suffered a disappointing World Cup exit after his national side were eliminated by Norway in the last 16.
An extension to his current deal, which expires in June 2027, is widely anticipated following these discussions.
Arsenal’s busy summer continues
Capturing Upson represents another shrewd piece of business for the title holders.
They have already converted Piero Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen into a permanent arrangement.
The goalkeeping department has also been strengthened with the acquisition of Illan Meslier.
The former Leeds United stopper joined on a free transfer to provide fresh competition between the posts.