According to reports, Arsenal is on the brink of securing the services of 15-year-old Rangers attacking midfielder, Alexander Smith. The Gunners have been closely monitoring Smith’s development and are willing to offer a significant six-figure compensation fee to finalize the deal.

Negotiations between Arsenal and Rangers are said to be progressing well, indicating a potential breakthrough in the acquisition of Smith. The young talent has caught the attention not only for his performances with Rangers’ youth team but also for representing both the USA U15s and Scotland U16s at the international level.

Born in Scotland with dual citizenship, Smith has the option to choose between Scotland and the USA for his international career. His recent impressive displays at the East Mallorca Cup, where he won four Man of the Match awards in five games, have further enhanced his reputation. Notably, Smith played a pivotal role in Rangers’ youth team securing a victory over Liverpool during the tournament in Spain.

Scotland has become a popular destination for English clubs in search of young talent, particularly due to post-Brexit restrictions that limit the signing of overseas players under the age of 18. Despite Rangers’ reluctance to let go of Smith, Arsenal seems poised to initiate talks with the Scottish club regarding the transfer of this promising wonderkid.

This potential signing follows a trend where English clubs, including Chelsea with Billy Gilmour and Aston Villa with Rory Wilson, have successfully recruited promising talents from Rangers’ academy in the past.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has strong connections to Rangers, having played for the Scottish club from 2002 to 2004. In a recent interview with the Rangers Museum, Arteta spoke highly of his time in Glasgow and praised the passion, loyalty, and openness of the people in Scotland.

“I loved Glasgow, I always recommend it to people to move there if they have the chance,” Arteta said. “They will be surprised. It’s hard to find people as passionate, loyal, and open as the people in Scotland, and Glasgow in particular. I always felt very welcome, and I had great support behind me. I had a great time there.”