Arsenal confirm wonderkid signing hours before shock debut

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Welsh wonderkid Brayden Clarke from Wolves, a player who could ultimately provide competition for Ben White in defence.

The Gunners have had a busy week, with White and Takehiro Tomiyasu handed new four-year contracts.

The timing of the White deal was particularly interesting, coming as it did at the same time as it was revealed that the player would no longer make himself available for England duty.

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But amid all that commotion, Clarke’s transfer from Wolves went relatively unnoticed, the 16-year-old moving without a compensation fee being paid.

He made his debut for Arsenal’s U18s on Saturday, playing 90 minutes of an 8-2 win over Crystal Palace, and could soon be knocking on the door of the first team.

How good is Clarke?

Clarke, like White, is a right-back who can also play centre-back, and he was at the heart of the defence at the Arsenal training centre on Saturday.

He helped Wales to the UEFA Euro U17 finals last year as the only player playing up an age group, and there are high hopes he can spearhead the next generation with the Gareth Bale/Aaron Ramsey era now passed.

Four Premier League clubs were reportedly interested in acquiring Clarke before Arsenal won the race for his signature.

“We’ve always seen his potential and he’s very good technically,” former Wolves coach Darren Ryan told the Express and Star last year.

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“He plays through the lines really well and he’s very comfortable on the ball. Where he’s developed a lot is his maturity and psychologically…”

How quickly Clarke will progress through the academy remains to be seen. The first team also have a versatile defender to return from injury in Jurrien Timber.

He and White might not be worrying quite yet, but the future would certainly appear to be bright.