Arsenal Targets Manchester United Starlets James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye

Arsenal’s youth rebuild is about to raid Old Trafford.

The club are closing in on a double move for Manchester United prospects James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye, sharpening a recruitment drive that has shifted serious attention towards the next generation.

Standard Sport understands Scanlon has been identified as a key target, with further talks planned between the clubs. Arsenal are optimistic of getting that deal done, with personal terms not expected to be a stumbling block.

The situation with Ogunneye is even more advanced. Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign the 20-year-old defender on a free transfer, with United inserting a 40 per cent sell-on clause into the deal. His medical is booked for Thursday and, barring late drama, an announcement is expected over the weekend.

Ogunneye will initially link up with the club’s U21s but will also be handed chances to train with Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad, a clear carrot for a player eager to break through at Premier League level.

Who is James Scanlon?

Scanlon is no ordinary academy winger. At 19, he already has 24 senior caps for Gibraltar, qualifying for the national team through his mother.

He made history in September 2024, becoming the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Nations League history at 17 years and 346 days, scoring in a 2-2 draw against Liechtenstein. That goal underlined what those around him already knew: this is a teenager comfortable under the glare of senior football.

Born in Leicester, Scanlon operates primarily as a winger on either flank but can also slot in as an attacking midfielder. He came through Derby County’s academy before United snapped him up in February 2021. Within a year he had forced his way into their U18 side.

The 2023-24 campaign marked his real breakthrough. He featured in the UEFA Youth League, stepped up to play for United’s U21s and earned invitations to train with Erik ten Hag’s first team. His progress was rewarded in May 2024 when he signed his first professional contract.

He has edged close to the senior stage at Old Trafford without quite stepping onto it. Scanlon was named in a Manchester United matchday squad for the first time in March 2025, for a Europa League tie against Real Sociedad, but is still waiting for his competitive debut.

To sharpen him up, United sent him on loan to Swindon Town for the second half of last season. He turned down interest from clubs across Europe to make that move, scoring once in six appearances as Swindon finished ninth in League Two, agonisingly a point outside the play-offs.

Who is Habeeb Ogunneye?

Ogunneye is a year and a bit older than Scanlon and has taken a more traditional academy route at United.

Born in Hackney, he made his debut for United’s U18s at just 15. A right-back who relishes getting forward, he pushed his development last season with a loan at Newport County, where senior football toughened his game.

He made 21 appearances in all competitions for Newport, including outings in both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, banking the kind of minutes that academy football cannot replicate.

One of those games brought him face to face with his likely future employers. Ogunneye started against Arsenal U21s in the EFL Trophy last season, a tie that featured Marli Salmon for the young Gunners. On that night, Ogunneye conceded a penalty, converted by Andre Harriman-Annous to level the match. It was a small detail then; it looks far more symbolic now.

His rise has not gone unnoticed at international level either. Ogunneye stands at the centre of a tug-of-war between England, where he was born, and Nigeria, whom he is eligible to represent through heritage. A final decision has not yet been made, but England U21s head coach Lee Carsley has already earmarked him as a potential star of the future.

Arsenal now intend to give him the platform to prove that prediction right.