Arsenal and Chelsea are preparing to fight over the signature of the 'next John Stones', with the winner set to save millions.
The Premier League is such a competitive competition that clubs will stop at nothing to get the slightest advantage over their rivals.
That includes identifying the best young players in the world and signing them to their academies before anybody else does.
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Chelsea and Arsenal are no strangers to that, and now they look to go head-to-head in a battle to sign one of the most exciting young prospects around.
15-year-old Aberdeen defender Lewis Carroll has gained plenty of attention for his assured performances at centre-back, and he is now firmly on the radar of both Premier League giants ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea have been tracking Carroll for some time and now Arsenal have entered the picture in recent months.
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The teenager doesn't turn 16 until next month, but he has already been compared to Manchester City and England star John Stones due to his height, style of play and ability to bring the ball out of defence and start attacks.
Aberdeen plan to fast-track the teenager into Neil Warnock's first-team when he becomes eligible to sign a professional contract upon his 16th birthday.
However, if Arsenal or Chelsea manage to tempt Carroll to London before then, then they will owe Aberdeen training compensation rather than a transfer fee.
English clubs have increasingly started looking to Scotland for young players, as rules introduced after Brexit mean they cannot sign players under the age of 18 from abroad.
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Though he is yet to make his senior debut for Aberdeen, Carroll was named the youth academy's talent of the month for May 2023.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Arsenal, Chelsea, John Stones, Aberdeen, Premier League, Scotland