Arsenal transfer target shares & deletes farewell message

With the expectation that his transfer to Arsenal will be announced within days, Blackburn Rovers youth striker Igor Tyjon shared a farewell message on Instagram, which has since been deleted.

The message read: “I would like to thank Rovers for the last three years. Thank you to all my teammates and staff throughout the years. I’ve made friendships for life and memories I won’t forget. Lots of ups and downs and learning on the way.

“The last couple of months have been tough due to certain people and reasons I can’t say, but I will never forget the good times at this club.”

James McNicholas reported for The Athletic this week that Arsenal are close to successfully concluding the signing of Tyjon from Rovers.

The player has already held his medical with the Gunners, who have agreed to pay an initial fee of £1m, plus bonuses and a sell-on clause.

It’s seemingly just a matter of time until Arsenal officially announce the transfer, having spent well over a year pushing to add the young striker to their academy.

Rovers rejected various bids and extended Tyjon’s scholarship contract, despite the player’s clear desire to leave. It’s likely that was behind his suggestion that the latter stages of his time in Blackburn have been ‘tough’.

Tyjon scored seven goals and assisted two in 21 appearances for the Blackburn Rovers youth teams in 2025/26, with his minutes inconsistent and limited as an apparent result of his refusal to sign professional terms with the club.

The 18-year-old also made an appearance for Rovers’ senior side in the League Cup, and he made the bench for an FA Cup match against Hull City, as well as three Championship games.