Premier League leaders Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign twin brothers Edwin and Holger Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, with the youngsters set to officially join the club in 2027. The Gunners have moved quickly to land the highly-rated duo, who are regarded as two of the most exciting young prospects in South America.
Edwin and Holger Quintero to join Arsenal when they turn 18
Following earlier reports suggesting a deal was close to being completed, Arsenal confirmed on Thursday they had triggered an agreement to sign both Edwin and Holger, with the transfers subject to the completion of regulatory processes. Should everything go through as planned, the 16-year-olds will arrive at the Emirates Stadium in August 2027, when they turn 18.
In a statement on their official club website, Arsenal said: “Edwin and Holger are recognised as two of the most exciting young talents in South America, displaying consistent and impressive performances at youth level for club and country. Both players have been capped at U17 international level for Ecuador.
“Edwin is left-footed, quick and a skilful dribbler. He operates as a right winger, likes to take on opponents and has a catalogue of skills. Holger is a technically gifted, right-footed, attacking midfielder who links play with his progressive vision and also possesses the ability to beat opponents with quick feet.
“We will be collaborating closely with Independiente del Valle on the development and wellbeing of both Edwin and Holger until they arrive at Arsenal. Everyone at Arsenal is excited to welcome the Quintero twins to the club in the near future.”
AdvertisementGetty Images SportHighly rated twins to follow in footsteps of Arsenal's Hincapie
When the transfers go through as expected, Edwin and Holger will follow in the footsteps of current Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, who was also born in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
Like the twins, the 23-year-old – who has earned 50 caps for his country – was also a product of Independiente del Valle’s famed youth academy, which also produced Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo and Paris Saint-Germain defender Willian Pacho.
Hincapie has impressed while filling the boots of injured Gabriel
A summer signing from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, Hincapie has caught the eye after being brought into the Arsenal defence to replace the injured Gabriel Magalhaes.
The left-footed centre-back starred in Arsenal’s 4-1 Premier League win over Tottenham in the north London derby on 23 November before going on to feature in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last Sunday and Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over high-flying Brentford.
Praising Hincapie’s impact alongside William Saliba in the win over fierce rivals Spurs, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said: “We believe that it was the best partnership [Saliba and Hincapie] to start with.
“We are going to have the absence of Gabi for a few weeks and we want to replace that stability that we had in the past. He [Hincapie] has won the league in Germany. For his age already, he has a lot of football in his legs.”
AFPArsenal to face stern test against in-form Aston Villa on Saturday
Arsenal’s victory over Brentford saw them restore their lead at the top of the table to five points following second-placed Manchester City’s breathless 5-4 win over Fulham on Tuesday evening.
Goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka did the damage for Arteta’s side, who face a tricky test when they travel to third-placed Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
The Villa Park club, led by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, are enjoying a remarkable run of form at the moment, having won seven of their last eight games in all competitions.
