Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle to sign Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente Del Valle when they turn 18 in August 2027, sources have told ESPN.
The 16-year-olds are in London this week and are expected to complete formalities including signing their contracts ahead of a formal announcement at a future date.
The fee involved is currently unclear but the move continues Arsenal’s drive to recruit the best talent of the next generation, which included confirmation in October that another 16-year-old, Victor Ozhianvuna, will join the Gunners from Shamrock Rovers in January 2027 when he turns 18.
Independiente, an Ecuadorian Serie A side, is considered a hotbed of Ecuadorian talent having produced Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo and Piero Hincapié, who joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in September on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent.
Chelsea have also agreed deals to sign teenagers Kendry Páez and Deinner Ordonez from Independiente but Arsenal beat off competition from a host of top clubs across Europe to land the Quintero twins.
Sources have told ESPN that the Gunners have been tracking the pair for well over a year. Edwin Quintero is a pacy right winger who has reportedly drawn comparisons with a young Neymar while Holger is viewed as an attacking midfielder.
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The deal is viewed as something of a coup of for the club’s academy recruitment team and sources say a key factor was the clear pathway to the first team identified by the recent progress of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and most recently Max Dowman.
Dowman, who turns 16 in December, signed a scholarship deal with the club in October and has already made both his Premier League and Champions League debuts this season.
His substitute appearance against Slavia Prague last month made him the youngest player ever to appear in the Champions League.
