Boyhood West Ham supporter is now set to sign for the Hammers from Arsenal
Boyhood West Ham supporter is now set to sign for the Hammers from Arsenal
West Ham United are expected to sign a new teenage defender after it was confirmed he’ll be leaving his current club.
West Hams summer transfer window so far
The Hammers, new manager Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten have already made moves in the summer transfer market when it comes to new arrivals ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
First to join was teenage winger Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras and this week, Wes Foderingham was also confirmed as a Hammers player, arriving on a free transfer after leaving Sheffield United.
Not all of the club’s additions this summer look likely to be at first-team level, though, with West Ham set to sign David Chigwada from Manchester City.
The teenage attacker looks set to go into the club’s youth ranks, and it appears as if the Hammers could soon make another academy signing.
West Ham set to sign boyhood Hammers supporter
West Ham insider Sean Whetstone, relayed by Hammers News, has stated that teenage defender Luis Brown is set to sign for the Irons on Monday after recently training with the club. The 18-year-old is set to depart Arsenal and already has ties to West Ham, with his father academy manager Kenny Brown and his grandfather, Ken, playing more than 350 games for the Hammers.
“Arsenal defender Luis Brown has confirmed that he will be leaving Arsenal when his scholarship contract expires at the end of June. The 18-year-old son of West Ham Academy Manager Kenny Brown progressed all the way through the ranks at the club’s Hale End Arsenal academy, wasn’t offered a professional contract by Arsenal.
“Brown has been training with West Ham and is now expected to sign for the Hammers on 1 July. During his time at Arsenal Brown, who can play at left-back or centre-back, made 31 appearances for the U18s, scoring three goals. He often captained the team last season. Brown also made his Premier League 2 debut as a substitute against Southampton and was named on the bench in the UEFA Youth League.”
Related
West Ham willing to move for "devastating" forward compared to Salah
He's valued at up to 30m.
Brown, who understandably grew up an Irons supporter due to family connections, has actually previously been on the books at West Ham before he chose Arsenal at under-9 level. He said on the decision to join Arsenal instead of West Ham:
“Alongside Sunday league, I played for Arsenal, Chelsea, and West Ham until under-9 level, which is the year you have to choose one team. Growing up in a die-hard West Ham household didn’t make it an easy choice, but after speaking with my family it became clear that there was only one option. Arsenal had the better coaches, the better facilities and the better players. Once I’d decided, there was no turning back. It was time for Hale End.”
It looks as if he’ll now link up with the Hammers once more, looking to progress into the first team ranks in years to come.