Liverpool hijack Arsenal striker transfer as deal agreed and medical ongoing

Salford City teenage sensational Will Wright has turned down Arsenalin favour of a move to Liverpool.

The 17-year-old has been a prolific scorer at youth level with Salford and made his first-team breakthrough last season, making his debut in the EFL Trophy against Wolves Under 21s in November.

He then made a cameo appearance against Manchester City in the FA Cup, before making his League Two bow at Port Vale the following month. In total, Wright has made four senior appearances for Salford.

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Arsenal had looked to have beaten Liverpool in the raceafter it was reported that the Gunners offered a bigger fee to the fourth-tier outfit and were prepared to pay more in wages for the 2008-born forward.

However, Liverpool appear to have hijacked a deal and are closing in on bringing Wright to Anfield. The Reds have negotiated a fee that will see them pay £200,000 up front along with a number of add-ons.

Wright preferred a transfer to Liverpool for footballing reasons and the fact he would be able to stay in the North West rather than moving down to London.

It's claimed that Wright is undergoing a medical, and once the move is completed, would join up with Rob Page's Under 21s side ahead of their Premier League 2 season.

Although losing out on Wright's signature is a blow for the Gunners, they have a number of other talented youngsters that are expected to have first-team game time this season.

As well as 18-year-old duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, the likes of Max Dowman and Marli Salmon are set to be handed opportunities in the senior set-up in 2025/26.

Dowman and Salmon have impressed for the Gunners in pre-season so far, with the former catching the eye as he won a penalty and put in an encouraging performance against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Speaking about Dowman's showing against the Magpies, Arteta said: "It is special. What he's done today against this team in the time that he had on the pitch, it is something certainly not common to witness for a 15-year-old. We are extremely happy to have him.

"The environment that is around him, his family, the people at the club and academy are super helpful because they put him in this position so early in his journey, having a real chance and a real presence when he plays for the first team."