Arsenal have beaten Liverpool and Nottingham Forest to sign a promising goalkeeper for their Hale End academy
Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to the signing of a highly-rated goalkeeper to add to their rich talent pool at Hale End.
The Gunners have finalised an agreement with Larne to snap up youngster Phoenix Blayney, 16, according to the player’s father. The Northern Irish Premier League outfit will receive a nominal fee as part of compensation for his development and training.
Alan Blayney has confirmed his son will put pen to paper this summer following a successful trial with the north London club. Reports suggest Arsenal have fought off interest from rival Premier League teams including Liverpool and Nottingham Forest to secure his signature.
There are only a few formalities left to rubber-stamp before the deal is completed. Blayney is yet to sign his pre-contract agreement for when he turns professional on his 17th birthday in November 2027, his dad revealed.
“Everything has been agreed with Arsenal, he just needs to sign the contract,” Alan Blayney told the Belfast Telegraph. “When he’s 17, he will sign a professional contract. It’s done and dusted and a pre-contract will be signed when the time is right.”
Blayney had spent time on trial with Arsenal earlier this year, as well as visiting Liverpool’s facilities. He was even spotted donning the club’s training gear in the stands at Anfield.
But Blayney Sr. revealed how Arsenal’s offer stood out the most as “the shining light between them all”, with the Larne youth goalkeeper viewing the move to north London as “a massive opportunity”.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
“Phoenix enjoyed being at Arsenal, he felt a connection there and really likes the coaches,” he added. “One of his good friends Daniel McCarron has joined the club and that’s probably one of the reasons too. Him and Daniel play in the same Northern Ireland team.”
Due to his raw age and lack of senior experience, Blayney will be tasked with proving his ability in the youth ranks for the Under-18s under the guise of head coach Adam Birchall.
Birchall was appointed in October 2024 following Jack Wilshere’s decision to leave for his first job in senior management.
The club’s emphasis on fresh blood in the goalkeeping department is evident. Arsenal have signed a senior goalkeeper every year of Arteta’s reign, with Kepa Arrizabalaga arriving in 2025 from Chelsea to follow Neto (2024), first-choice stopper David Raya (2023), Matt Turner (2022), Aaron Ramsdale (2021), and Mat Ryan and Alex Runarsson (both 2020).
Arteta has also brought through talents Tommy Setford and Jack Porter to hand them first-team debuts, showing a clear pathway to recognition at the club. That seems to have played a key part in helping Blayney pick the Emirates Stadium as his new home.
In addition to Blayney and McCarron, Arsenal are far from done from unearthing Northern Ireland’s best talents. The publication also report that Cliftonville’s Riley McCreery is set to go on trial as part of a narrowed focus on talent in the region.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
from £4.50
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
