Arsenal have agreed to sign 15-year-old Benfica goalkeeper Joao Virginia, and they are on the verge of reaching a deal for the starlet.
Virginia has arrived in England and will train with the club before they make any deal official, according to The Metro.
The Portuguese international was also being pursued by Manchester United, but all signs point to him being interested in playing for Arsenal.
The Benfica goalie will have to continue training with Arsenal until October, as he cannot sign a deal until he turns 16.
Even when Virginia turns 16, he will more than likely start out with the Arsenal youth team due to the Gunners’ depth in its goalkeeping ranks.
The Gunners will almost certainly use new signing Petr Cech as the club’s number one in between the sticks, and he will be backed up by David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez.
It remains to be seen whether Virginia will seal the deal for good and if he can emerge as a possible long-term successor to Cech.
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