Arsenal are reportedly looking to secure the services of the young Scunthorpe United sensation Joey Dawson after the new club scholar recently made history.
What’s the word?
Dawson became the youngest player to ever appear for the Iron at just 16 years and 75 days old against Derby County in the Carabao Cup. The youngster is yet to appear in League Two as Scunthorpe find themselves 22nd in the league table, but he has been named on the bench on five different occasions.
The Iron midfielder is the nephew of former Spurs and England defender Michael Dawson, who currently plays for Nottingham Forest in the Championship. His father, Andy, coaches at Hull City.
The Sun have now revealed that the Gunners could make a move, with the north London side keen on the youngster.
One for the future
As the Spanish manager maintains his drive towards nurturing youth talent, Dawson comes under the category of a player that Arsenal will look to sign in the next two transfer windows.
The 16-year-old can play as a central midfielder or a striker, which would bring some versatility to his squad. Having a concrete outfield position would most likely have to be in place as he matures. Dawson worked his way through Scunthorpe’s youth academy as one of the club’s eight new scholars.
Having not currently signed a professional contract with the Lincolnshire-based outfit, the next two campaigns will be crucial for Dawson as Emery’s scouts will surely be closely monitoring his development. This is relevant to whether he comes in as part of the first-team setup at London Colney, or if he is sent out on loan.
Scunthorpe’s manager Paul Hurst described Dawson as a player “with a lot of potential” who showed “good ability” during pre-season, and the 16-year-old played for the first team against Guiseley back in July, per the Grimsby Telegraph.
The future should always take a priority of investment at every club – therefore Emery should not hesitate in making a swoop for Dawson. After that, it will be up to the player himself in terms of how badly he wants to make it to the elite level.