Arsenal on verge of signing six-figure Scotland 'wonderkid' amid six figure
The north Londoners are reportedly closing in on a deal for the Scottish starlet
Mikel Arteta is reportedly on the verge of signing 15-year-old Alexander Smith from Rangers. According to reports from the sun, the attacking midfielder has been tracked by Arsenal for some time and the Gunners are now ready to offer a six-figure compensation fee for his services.
The Arsenal manager will be sure to use his pre-existing connections with the club in order to prize the youngster away. The Spaniard played for the Scottish giants from 2002 and 2004, scoring a 96th-minute penalty on Derby day to secure Rangers the treble.
Smith was born in Scotland but holds both Scottish and US citizenship and has represented both the USA U15s and Scotland U16s. He most recently impressed for the Rangers' youth team at the East Mallorca Cup, taking home four Man of the Match awards over the five games played at the Spanish tournament. One of his MOTM awards came in a triumph over Liverpool.
Since Brexit permitted the signing of players under the age of 18 from overseas, Scotland has fast become a huge market for English clubs to recruit young and up-and-coming talent. Rangers, however, are reportedly reluctant to lose Smith given his fast-growing reputation in Glasgow but are aware they are unlikely to hold on to their starlet.
The acquisition of Smith will likely form part of Arteta and sporting director Edu's busy summer plans in which they will likely prioritise signing younger players to Emirates.