Arsenal's Double Move for Manchester United's Scanlon and Ogunneye
Arsenal’s youth rebuild is about to run straight through Manchester United.
The club are closing in on a double move for highly rated youngsters James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye, with one deal already at the medical stage and another advancing after positive talks.
Standard Sport understands Scanlon has been identified as a serious target as Arsenal sharpen their focus on elite youth recruitment. Discussions with United are ongoing, but there is confidence at London Colney that an agreement can be struck, with personal terms not expected to be a stumbling block.
The situation with Ogunneye is even further down the line. Arsenal are set to land the 20-year-old defender on a free transfer, with United inserting a 40 per cent sell-on clause into the deal. The right-back is booked in for a medical on Thursday, and an announcement is anticipated over the weekend.
Once the paperwork is done, Ogunneye will initially link up with the Under-21s. The plan is clear: integrate him at academy level, then open the door to first-team training sessions, giving him the chance to impress Mikel Arteta and his staff.
James Scanlon: Gibraltar’s record-breaking winger
Scanlon arrives with a profile that already stretches beyond age-group football. The 19-year-old has been capped 24 times at senior international level by Gibraltar, who he represents through his mother.
He made history in September 2024, becoming the UEFA Nations League’s youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 346 days when he struck in a 2-2 draw against Liechtenstein. It was a glimpse of the composure and timing that has turned heads across Europe.
Born in Leicester, Scanlon is a versatile attacker. Primarily a winger comfortable on either flank, he can also operate as an attacking midfielder, drifting into central areas to link play.
He came through Derby County’s academy before United moved to bring him north in February 2021. Within a year he had forced his way into their Under-18s, and the 2023-24 campaign marked a real step up: appearances in the UEFA Youth League, minutes for the Under-21s, and a call to train with Erik ten Hag’s first team. United rewarded that rise with his first professional contract in May 2024.
The pathway to senior football at Old Trafford has not yet opened fully. Scanlon was named in a senior matchday squad for the first time in March 2025, for a Europa League tie against Real Sociedad, but is still waiting for his debut.
To accelerate his development, he spent the second half of last season on loan at Swindon Town. He turned down interest from clubs across Europe to make that move, scoring once in six appearances as the Robins finished ninth in League Two, agonisingly missing the play-offs by a single point.
Now Arsenal are trying to position themselves as the club that gives him that next step.
Habeeb Ogunneye: attacking right-back at the centre of a tug-of-war
If Scanlon brings international experience, Ogunneye offers the profile of a modern full-back shaped in United’s academy.
A year and a few months older than Scanlon, the Hackney-born defender made his debut for United’s Under-18s at just 15. He is described as an adventurous right-back who relishes getting forward, a trait that has underpinned his progression through the ranks.
Last season he took the more traditional route towards senior football with a loan at Newport County. Across all competitions he made 21 appearances, picking up valuable minutes in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and learning the demands of the professional game.
One of those outings came against Arsenal’s own youngsters. In the EFL Trophy, Ogunneye started for Newport against an Arsenal Under-21 side featuring Marli Salmon. On that night he was on the wrong side of the key moment, conceding a penalty that Andre Harriman-Annous converted to level the tie. Soon he could be sharing a dressing room with some of those same players.
His rise has not gone unnoticed at international level either. Despite his age, Ogunneye already sits at the heart of a battle for his allegiance. Born in England but eligible for Nigeria through heritage, he has attracted serious interest from both nations. No decision has been announced, but England Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley has earmarked him as a potential star of the future.
For Arsenal, these moves are about more than numbers in the academy. They are calculated bets on two young players who have already tasted senior football, international pressure, and the grind of the lower leagues.
If the deals go through as expected, the question shifts quickly: how long before Scanlon and Ogunneye push their way from the Under-21s into Arteta’s plans?
