Arsenal academy product Khayon Edwards is reporteldy closing in on a move to Estoril Praia as he aims to kick-start his senior career in Portugal.

According to O Jogo via Sport Witness, Arsenal academy star Khayon Edwards is inching closer towards a departure from North London and looking to kick-start his senior career elsewhere. Portuguese top-tier side Estoril Praia are the favourites to land the outgoing Arsenal whizkid as a free transfer is on the cards.

Arsenal have produced some exceptional talents through their Hale End academy, but not all of those players end up making it to the first team. Some remain in the periphery of the youth squads and do not make it beyond the Under-21 levels, while others tend to gain regular senior action with some loan spells elsewhere.

One of the prime examples of talent not coming through to the first teams is that of Khayon Edwards, with the Under-21 star only managing to star for the youth squads. He still has a decent record in the Under-21 squad, although he’s not deemed good enough.

Edwards is 21, and this might be the time to kick-start his senior career. He did have the taste of first-team football when he joined Leyton Orient in the second half of last season. Over there, he only made seven appearances but could not find the net.

Arsenal are in the market for new strikers and are not looking at internal solutions such as Edwards or fellow striker and Norwich City-linked Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, with the duo now expected to depart. In the case of Edwards, the outgoing Arsenal whizkid is into the final month of his professional contract, as a free transfer to Portugal seems to be on the cards.

Khayon Edwards to join Portuguese side Estoril Praia

The report states that there have been a few Portuguese sides interested in signing Edwards, Canarinhos FC. However, the outgoing Arsenal whizkid is now closing in on a move to top-tier side Estoril Praia, as his agent feels a move to the Premiera Liga could be the right move to kickstart his senior career.

Portugal might be a good place to start for a player like Edwards, as many such stars in the past have re-established their careers there and made a return to one of the top five leagues in the future. Edwards can hope for a similar outcome, as the pressure of succeeding there is far lesser than in England.