Arsenal reach agreement to sign striker Vincent Joseph, 16, from Liverpool

Arsenal have reached an agreement with England youth international striker Vincent Joseph to join the club from Liverpool.

An agreement is in place between Arsenal and Joseph, and the two clubs are currently discussing a fee settlement for the 16-year-old striker.

If one cannot be found it will be decided by a tribunal, which is necessary when a player under the age of 24 moves clubs before signing their first professional contract or at the expiry of their professional contract.

When deciding what the compensation should be, the Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) takes multiple factors into account, including age, playing record, length of time Joseph was at Liverpool, the status of both clubs, and, among other considerations, the terms offered by both teams.

Joseph, who has scored eight goals in nine appearances for England’s under-16 side and played for Liverpool in the under-18 Premier League, did not sign scholarship terms at Anfield this summer following the expiration of his schoolboy registration contract.

The move for Joseph is indicative of Arsenal continuing their drive to recruit emerging talent.

Arsenal are aiming to add promising players who they believe have the potential to break into the club’s first-team squad, or alternatively could generate future transfer interest and revenue.

Mylo Bernard, 16, has also agreed to join the north London club from Crystal Palace. As with Joseph, Bernard’s schoolboy registration contract at Palace has now expired, leaving him open to moving on a training compensation deal.

They are also set to complete the signing of Cardiff City’s youngest-ever player, Axel Donczew.

Donczew, 16, became the youngest player to ever represent Cardiff’s first team when he was introduced as a second-half substitute against Newport County in the EFL Trophy on October 25, aged 15 years and 234 days.

Arsenal were previously interested in a move for teenage winger Jeremy Monga. However, the north London club felt that Leicester City’s £10million ($13.3m) valuation of the 17-year-old was too high and he subsequently joined Manchester City in July.

Arsenal’s 16-year-old England youth international Mishel Nduka turned down a new deal at the club and, like Monga, also joined City.

Arsenal did, however, complete the signing of former defender Matthew Upson’s son Elijah following the 18-year-old’s departure from Tottenham Hotspur. The teenager has linked up with the club’s academy.