Arsenal are set to beat rivals Liverpool in the race for Salford City’s exciting teenage striker Will Wright after hijacking the deal.

According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal have reportedly hijacked a move for Will Wright from under the noses of rivals Liverpool. The Gunners are set to sign Salford City’s 17-year-old talent, who will come in and join the U-18 and U-21 setups.

Will Wright was a lesser-known name up until the last few days, following reports of big interest in the striker. Even as Liverpool were pressing ahead with a move for the Salford City teenager, it did not make it to the media until Arsenal made their move.

The Gunners have observed the teenager over the recent period and have seemingly convinced Salford City of a deal ahead of Liverpool. Wright seemed destined to join Liverpool in a 100,000 deal, but Arsenal have come in and offered double the amount, with the deal now expected to close at 200,000 plus add-ons.

It’s a big coup for Arsenal and a loss for Liverpool, as the latter are not reportedly willing to match what the Gunners can pay for the young attacker. Arsenal’s academy, run by former defender Per Mertesacker, have been angling for some important moves for talented players across other academies.

Signing Wright will be seen as a big coup, with the striker expected to juggle between U-18s and U-21s in the Arsenal setup. Mertesacker has been given a separate budget to recruit for the youth sides, and it appears their newfound financial flexibility is what made the club oust Liverpool from the race for the 17-year-old English striker prodigy.

Will Wright could be a future star for Arsenal

Wright had scored 50 goals for Salford last season at youth levels, and also made his first team debut against Manchester City in the FA Cup, where they lost by 8-0 scoreline. He also featured for the club in League Two and will now come to Arsenal with the hope of excelling in the youth teams.

He will hope the performances earn him a permanent place in the U-21s as early as possible, which does give him a solid chance to fall into Mikel Arteta’s radar quite regularly. The Gunners are building from the ground up when it comes to future talents, as their recent promotions to the first teams have all been excellent. Wright will hope to have a similar impact to the likes of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, as he makes his big move.