Arsenal-bound teen to play European football this season | OneFootball

Arsenal-bound Victor Ozhianvuna is set to gain European experience this season, with Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the Europa Conference League.

Photo via Shamrock Rovers on Instagram

Reports breaking over the last week or so have revealed that Victor Ozhianvuna is set to leave Shamrock Rovers for Arsenal once he’s 18.

David Ornstein of The Athletic was among the journalists to confirm that Arsenal have agreed a deal and a medical is done, with only the official signature and announcement remaining.

Yet Ozhianvuna doesn’t turn 18 until January 2027, and he’ll remain with Shamrock Rovers until then. So it was good news for both his current club and his future club when Shamrock Rovers qualified for the Europa Conference League this week.

Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Ozhianvuna was on the bench for Shamrock Rovers’ final European qualifier against Santa Clara on Thursday. His team already had a 2-1 lead from the first leg, and they held onto that advantage with a 0-0 home draw to see them into the competition proper.

Rovers then learned their European opponents on Friday, with the club to host Shakhtar Donetsk, Celje, and Hamrun Spartans, visiting Sparta Prague, AEK Athens, and Breidablik.

That’s a good group of opponents for the teenager to test himself against, if he can get on the pitch for some minutes.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

Reports suggest Arsenal will pay at least €2m for Ozhianvuna, with add-ons potentially taking the move above €4m and a healthy sell-on clause also included. The player will sign a four-and-a-half-year deal, which should last until 2031.

Club Brugge also made a move for the player, and that transfer would have allowed him to leave immediately. Ozhianvuna has instead opted to transfer in 2027, having already met with Per Mertesacker and visited Arsenal on multiple occasions.

The right-footed midfielder generally operates on the left, making him a good alternative to the growing list of Arsenal midfielders for which the reverse is true. He’s made 15 senior appearances so far, and he’ll surely have plenty more under his belt by the time he moves to north London.