Arsenal are set to sign Wolves defender Brayden Clarke, according to the Secret Scout.
The insider source is usually reliable when it comes to youth transfers and he claims that the player has “already said his goodbyes” ahead of a move to the Emirates:
BOOM 💥 Arsenal have made an offer for Wolves u17 Brayden Clarke. #AFC 🔴
The Welsh Centre-Back has already said his goodbyes, with Arsenal likely to be his destination.
There was interest from 4 other Premier League clubs.
He is the son of ex-pro Nigel Quashie pic.twitter.com/BeTtmhDuxM
— TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) March 3, 2024
As the Secret Scout mentions, it is believed that the Gunners have beaten four other Premier League clubs to Clarke’s signature.
An official bid has been tabled and, from the looks of things, a deal for the Welsh youth international will be wrapped up pretty soon.
Who is Brayden Clarke?
The 16-year-old is a centre-back by trade, having come through Wolves’ youth ranks to make his debut for their Under 18s this season.
Clarke has made 10 appearances in the Under 18 Premier League, having been deployed both as a right-back and in the centre of defence.
He has also played regularly for Wales at Under 16 and Under 17 level. Last month, he captained his country for the first time in a 4-0 win over Bosnia.
Clarke will join up with some highly rated players in Arsenal’s youth team
The defender is set to link up with Jack Wilshere’s side, who already have the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Kelly in their ranks.
Both of those players are slightly further along in their development than Clarke. Nwaneri has actually made two senior appearances already, but he has also been given runouts in the FA Youth Cup this campaign.
Lewis-Kelly hasn’t been handed his first-team debut yet but he has been named on the substitutes bench this season. Clarke will be hoping to follow in their footsteps and impress manager Mikel Arteta over the coming months.
