Arsenal reach agreement in principle to sign Independiente Del Valle duo Edwin and Holger Quintero

Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Independiente Del Valle attacking duo Edwin and Holger Quintero, according to ESPN. The Ecuadorian twins will join Arsenal when they turn 18 in August 2027 and are in London this week to make their move to the Emirates Stadium club official. The Gunners have pipped competition to their services, and the Quintero brothers are now expected to sign their contracts to join them and wrap up every formality required. It remains to be seen whether a formal announcement at a future date will be made confirming the 16-year-olds will be joining Arsenal.

Edwin plays on the right wing and in midfield, while Holger is primarily an attacking midfielder. Independiente produced Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie and Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, and the Quintero twins will hope to follow in the footsteps of the Ecuador international duo. The Gunners have been monitoring them for over a year, and while they will be initially joining their youth ranks in 2027, the North Londoners believe they can become first-team stars in the future.

The teenage attacking duo both represent the Ecuador under-17 team and were wanted by Bayern Munich and Sevilla. Arsenal will be saving millions in transfer fees if the Quinteros turn out as expected given their huge potential, and signing youngsters from South America is a strategy most bigwigs in Europe are adopting. The Gunners snapped Gabriel Martinelli up from Ituano (then in the Brazilian fourth division) in 2019 for around £6 million, and he has established himself as a key player for club and country since then.