1st summer signing? Arsenal ready to sign 18 year old striker as club just sanctioned the sale

Arsenal have been cleared to speak to 18 year old striker, Ademola Lookman, after Charlton decided they could not keep hold of the hot prospect. Lookman is highly rated and has been touted as a future Premier League striker and a host of clubs have been keeping an eye on him.

Chelsea and Liverpool have both made advances and offered cash incentives for the youngster to move on but they managed to keep hold of the starlet. Now though, it seems, Charlton seem ready to cash in on their asset and sell to Arsenal.

Sources suggest the transfer could go through at the end of the season but it might cost Arsenal a pretty penny with Charlton reportedly pushing the youngster to sign a new contract, upping the transfer fee they could demand.

Lookman is a left footed attacking player who can score goals and set up chances from wide areas. He featured 15 times for Charlton this season and would certainly love the opportunity to step up in class.

The Charlton youth academy does have a fairly good history of churning out future stars with former graduate and first team player Mark Kinsella overseeing much of the development: “I played here 15 years ago and we had Richard Rufus, Paul Konchesky, Scotty Parker and Charlie MacDonald, who had all come through.

“If you’re good, you play. You can’t hold back talent, just as Jonjo Shelvey and Konchesky showed, playing in the first team at 16. Charlton would never hold anyone back.”