Transfer Centre

Khayon Edwards 'signs first professional Arsenal deal'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 02 May 2022

Arsenal teenager Khayon Edwards reportedly signs his first professional contract with the Gunners, snubbing interest from Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Arsenal youngster Khayon Edwards has reportedly signed his first professional contract with the Gunners until the summer of 2025.

A product of the Hale End academy, 18-year-old Edwards has enjoyed a prolific season at Under-18 level for the Gunners this term with 16 goals and five assists in 16 Under-18 Premier League games.

Edwards has also made the step-up to Premier League 2 football amid his rapid development and struck his first goal for the Under-23s in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United back in January.

The teenager's season was cut short due to an injury which has seen him miss the last two months of action, but his prolific goal tally supposedly led to interest from a number of clubs.

Chelsea were believed to have been keeping a close eye on Edwards's future, with the striker previously due to leave as a free agent when his scholarship terms expired at the end of the season.

Mikel Arteta in charge of Arsenal in May 2022 © Reuters

However, The Athletic now reports that Edwards has put pen to paper on his first professional contract with Arsenal, which will run for three years until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The report adds that Brighton & Hove Albion were also keeping a close eye on the 5ft 11in striker's performances, but he has snubbed interest from the Gunners' top-flight rivals to remain in North London.

In total, Edwards has already amassed 23 goals and nine assists for the club's Under-18 side in all competitions, as well as one goal and one assist in six appearances at Under-23 level.

Edwards will aim to break into the first team at the Emirates Stadium from the 2022-23 season onwards, with Mikel Arteta expected to oversee a significant summer of change in the forward areas.

Alexandre Lacazette has only scored two goals from open play in the Premier League this term and is expected to leave as a free agent alongside Eddie Nketiah, in spite of the latter's recent run of starts and impressive form.

Alexandre Lacazette in action for Arsenal on March 6, 2022 © Reuters

Folarin Balogun has made the step-up to senior football this season but struggled to adapt to life in the first team at Arsenal and has since registered three goals and three assists in 20 matches for loan club Middlesbrough.

As well as Balogun and Edwards, Arteta already has Mika Biereth knocking on the door for his first-team debut, with the 19-year-old scoring 11 goals in the Premier League 2 this season and making the bench in the Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Despite the emergence of the youngsters, Arsenal are expected to be in the market for at least one recognised centre-forward amid reports of a £42m deal for Gabriel Jesus already being agreed with Manchester City.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Benfica's Darwin Nunez are also thought to be on the Arsenal shortlist, but Arteta's side remain in the driving seat for the top four despite failing to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January.

Arteta has sent an early warning to Arsenal fans ahead of the summer window, though, with the 40-year-old claiming that the Gunners cannot afford big-money signings like Liverpool's deals for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.