Arsenal interested in transfer swoop for defender who left Tottenham in 2023 | OneFootball

Arsenal are reportedly interested in a surprise potential transfer swoop for a relatively unproven teenager currently playing in the Championship.

The player in question is 17-year-old Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon, who has been at the club since leaving Tottenham in summer 2023.

Spurs fans won’t be too happy if they see one of their former academy players going on to play for their bitter rivals Arsenal, but it seems this could be one to watch.

That’s according to a report from the Daily Mail, who claim the Gunners are considering a move for Dixon as a replacement for Ayden Heaven.

Heaven recently left Arsenal to join rivals Manchester United, and it will undoubtedly feel like a bit of a blow that the talented young defender moved on to join another Premier League club.

Jaden Dixon transfer: Arsenal eyeing Stoke City wonderkid

Jaden Dixon holding up a Stoke City shirt (Photo via Stoke City FC)

Heaven wasn’t a first-team regular at Arsenal, but perhaps Mikel Arteta felt he wasn’t that far away from getting more playing time.

That could be behind the north London giants now looking at Dixon’s progress at Stoke and eyeing him up as another talented young defensive player to come in and compete for a first-team place soon.

Arteta has promoted youngsters like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly this season, and he’s also previously had a key role in the development of other homegrown talents like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah.

Dixon could do well to move to Arsenal to further his career, even if he’s also doing well to be playing regularly already at Championship level.

In a way, the England youth international might be better off being patient and staying where he is for a bit longer, and only leaving when he’s sure he’ll play straight away at wherever he goes next.