Arsenal see seven-figure bid for youngster rebuffed by London giants

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·13 mai 2025

Arsenal see seven-figure bid for youngster rebuffed by London giants

Arsenal have had a seven-figure offer rejected by Chelsea for Under-18 goalkeeper Freddy Bernal. According to Fabrizio Romano, the bid is believed to have been in the region of £1.25 million for the 16-year-old prospect. Despite Bernal having yet to make a senior appearance, Chelsea have firmly turned down the approach and are reportedly waiting to assess wider interest from other clubs.

The rejection comes as something of a surprise given the player’s limited exposure. Bernal has made five appearances in the Premier League Under-18 division and was named in the England Under-18 squad for the March international break, although he did not feature in any of those fixtures. Whether Arsenal return with an improved offer remains to be seen, but even that may not be enough to tempt Chelsea into a sale.

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Youth depth raises questions over Arsenal’s intent

Despite the expected departure of Neto this summer, which will create a vacancy at second-choice goalkeeper, Arsenal are already well stocked with young talent in the goalkeeping department. Just last summer, the club signed Tommy Setford and Lucas Nygaard from abroad, both of whom have featured for the youth teams, with Setford also involved with first-team squads during the campaign.

Tommy Setford

Both Setford and Nygaard have had minutes in the Premier League 2, raising the question of whether Bernal’s potential arrival might be surplus to requirements. However, as cited by Fabrizio Romano, the size of the offer suggests Arsenal see something very special in the young goalkeeper.

First-team recruitment remains the priority

With Neto’s departure imminent, Arsenal’s priority this summer must be to secure both adequate cover and serious competition for David Raya. The club need not only a back-up option but also someone capable of pushing for the starting role to maintain standards.

Espanyol’s Joan Garcia has long been linked as the leading candidate to fill that role. With a reported transfer fee in excess of £25 million, such a signing would reflect the club’s intent to invest wisely and sustain pressure within the squad heading into the new season.

Thoughts Gooners?

BENJAMIN KENNETH

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