North London heist! Arsenal agree deal to sign Tottenham sensation Elijah Upson on a free transfer

Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign Tottenham centre-back Upson on a free transfer after the 18-year-old opted against extending his contract in north London, according to Fabrizio Romano. The defender is set to join Mikel Arteta's project on a long-term deal, with a formal announcement still to come.

Upson becomes Arsenal's latest addition during a busy summer transfer window. The Gunners have already signed goalkeeper Illan Meslier and agreed a deal for Christos Tzolis, while Leandro Trossard has departed for Besiktas.

Romano confirmed that the deal had been completed after Arsenal secured the teenager's signature. Upson will join the club after turning down Tottenham's contract offer in favour of a move across north London.

He wrote on X: "Elijah Upson to Arsenal, here we go! Agreement signed today for 18 year old centre back to join Gunners project. Upson turned down new contract at Spurs to join Arsenal for long term, all set to be announced."

Despite being highly rated in Tottenham's academy, Upson's route to the first team had become increasingly difficult. Spurs strengthened their defence with the arrivals of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, leaving the youngster behind established options including Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso and Cristian Romero.

Although Romero has been linked with Inter and Barcelona, Upson chose to continue his development elsewhere. Arsenal's record of promoting young talent under Arteta is believed to have been a key attraction, with players such as Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Marli Salmon all progressing into the senior set-up.

The transfer is expected to be announced once the remaining formalities are completed. Upson will then begin the next stage of his development at Arsenal, where he will look to establish himself within the club's long-term plans while the Gunners continue their summer recruitment.