Arsenal confirm pre-agreement for Northern Ireland u17 international

Arsenal have announced that they’re reached an agreement for Phoenix Blayney to join the club from Larne FC as part of the Gunners’ 2027/28 scholarship intake.

Arsenal have also confirmed that Blayney has signed a pre-contract agreement that will lead to him signing professional terms with the club when he’s eligible, at 17.

Blayney is still currently just 15 years old, hence the delay on his transfer to summer 2027, and the delay on his professional deal to November 2027.

Blayney’s move to Arsenal was already relatively common knowledge, with the player’s father confirming in June that everything was agreed with the Gunners.

The young goalkeeper spent time on trial with both Arsenal and Liverpool, and Liverpool and Nottingham Forest both made contract offers to the player, but his father confirmed that he felt the strongest connection with the Gunners.

Prior to those trials, the youngster had been named on the bench for Larne in the UEFA Youth League, and he made his Northern Ireland u17 debut last October.

The goalkeeper played a couple of UEFA Euro u17 qualifiers later that same month, helping his team to a 2-1 win over Armenia and keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Cyprus.

He was involved in further qualifiers in March, and for the time being he’ll return to Northern Ireland to play his club football this season.