Arsenal have taken a step closer to beating out Manchester City and Bayern Munich for midfielder Kelechi Nwakali, after it was confirmed by former employers Diamond Academy that he would begin training with the north London side.
It’s believed that Nwakali signed for Arsenal on a deal worth roughly £3m and despite the fact that he cannot apply for a work permit until the age of 18, the attacking midfielder, currently 17, is going to begin doing his work with his new side until then.
Speaking to allnigeriasoccer.com, a representative of the Diamond Academy confirmed the news that Nwakali was an Arsenal player.
Kelechi Nwakali is not coming back to Nigeria, he has gone to London to stay.
He will do pre-season training with Arsenal. It is no longer in our hands if he’ll train with the first team or the Academy, they know the best for him.
His application for a work permit can only be processed after he clocks 18.
YouTube: Kelechi Nwakali 2015-16 • Nigeria | Welcome to Arsenal FC 2016 | Goals, Skills, Assists | HD
It’s believed that Nwakali signed a five-year deal at Arsenal and that club legend Nwankwo Kanu was a persuasive figure, given that both players originally come from Nigeria – the home nation of Gunners star Alex Iwobi, who recently broke into the first-team and scored his first Premier League goal against Everton at Goodison Park.
