Scotland youth international Callan Hamill is said to be signing for Arsenal this summer after the Gunners agreed a six-figure deal with St Johnstone.
Hamill, who turns 16 on March 1, reportedly turned down Celtic and Rangers last year to join Arsenal. The right-footed teenage defender is due to sign on July 1 as the first opportunity cross-border moves can become official during the summer transfer window.
An apparent agreement comes almost three weeks after Ayden Heaven departed for Manchester United. Ruell Walters, another then-teenage defender, also left the Gunners last summer after turning down a contract extension, joining Luton Town.
Much like those two, Hamill is a versatile defender. The Stirling native primarily plays centrally, akin to Heaven, but also at right-back, like Walters, while is equally comfortable in midfield or on the left of defence.
Hamill has already trained with the club’s under-18s this season and played for the under-17s when they won the Flamengo adidas Cup in Brazil in December. He is also said to have competed in another international tournament for the Gunners last July.
The following month, he signed a new one-year deal with St Johnstone. At the time, their head of youth academy, Alistair Stevenson, acknowledged the interest in Hamill.
“Callan has been attracting interest from both north and south of the border,” he said. “Some of the top English clubs are watching him closely.”
One of those was Arsenal. A reported deal has materialised while Hamill plays in a UEFA development tournament, captaining Scotland’s under-16s to a 2-0 win over Romania today (Friday). That result came two days after playing in midfield and scoring a first international goal – a feeling he described as “amazing” – as they beat the hosts, Cyprus, 3-1 in their opening match.
Their final game is against Northern Ireland on Monday. Hamill has also played for the under-17s this season, featuring in two of three matches during the first round of their ultimately unsuccessful European Championship qualification campaign last autumn.
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