Arsenal agree deal to sign England wonderkid

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

England U16 international Mylo Bernard has reportedly reached a full agreement to join Arsenal this summer following the expiration of his schoolboy contract at Crystal Palace.

The Gunners have been in talks to sign the 16-year-old striker for several weeks and a deal has now been agreed after he rejected the opportunity to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park.

That is according to The Athletic, who report that Bernard will join Arsenal on a training compensation deal ahead of the 2026-27 season, with the teenager set to feature in the Gunners’ academy during his debut campaign at the club.

Bernard scored six goals in 13 appearances in the U18 Premier League last year, while he has netted four times in eight caps for England U16s, including a hat-trick versus the Netherlands in December.

Arsenal have also been heavily linked with fellow England youth striker Igor Tyjon over the past year and they have been tipped to finally secure the signing of the Blackburn Rovers forward before the end of the 2026 summer window.

Who else will Arsenal sign before the end of the summer window?

In addition to Bernard, and potentially Tyjon, Arsenal are also keen to bolster their first-team defensive roster amid William Saliba’s current injury layoff.

As exclusively reported by FootballTransfers, sporting director Andrea Berta is in contact with the representatives of Cristian Romero and Ezri Konsa, although Tottenham Hotspur have no interest in selling the former to their north London rivals.

Como star Jacobo Ramon is on the Gunners’ radar too, but a move to the Emirates Stadium seems unlikely at this stage.

In attack, Arsenal remain attentive to the left winger market following Vinicius Junior’s decision to sign a new contract at Real Madrid, although any move would likely be reliant on finalising the sale of Gabriel Martinelli.

Mikel Arteta’s side are reportedly open to offloading the Brazil international if a suitable bid arrives and they are able to find a replacement, with Galatasaray among the clubs keeping close tabs on his situation.

Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has also been linked with a sensational move to north London in recent months, although a transfer now looks increasingly unlikely and Arsenal are set to begin the 2026-27 campaign with Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz as their centre forward options.