Arsenal sign highly-rated USMNT prospect Lateef Omidiji Jr.

Premier League club Arsenal have reportedly signed Lateef Omidiji Jr. The Las Vegas-born 13-year-old joins a club with a strong reputation for developing young players.

Move over, Gedion Zelalem and Christian Pulisic. There’s a new American wonderkid on the block.

According to reports from Nigeria, English Premier League’s Arsenal have signed Lateef Omidiji Jr. The 13-year-old versatile forward chose to join the London club despite being wooed by other European powerhouses such as Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, and PSG.

The deal means that Omidiji will spend each summer training with Arsenal’s youth team, according to the AllNigeriaSoccer report. Other news outlets are reporting on the signing too, including NBC Sports and the British press. However, they all reference the Nigerian site as the source of the news.

Currently, he is training with Sparta Rotterdam’s academy in the Netherlands. It’s not a bad place to develop soccer skills. Other players who have come through that academy include Memphis Depay, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Danny Blind.

USMNT or Nigeria?

Born in Las Vegas, Omidiji has been invited to play for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the U-14 level. He is also, however, eligible to play for Nigeria. In an interview last November, Nigerian U-15 coach Danladi Nasidi, made it clear that he was trying to convince the young forward to choose the Super Eagles over the USMNT for his international career.

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It’s difficult to know what decision Omidiji will make, but he will be following in the footsteps of fellow American Zelalem. Currently on loan with VVV-Venlo in the Dutch second tier, Zelalem joined Arsenal in 2013 at the age of 16. Omidiji will be hoping to have better luck at breaking into Arsenal’s first team.

Arsenal is a club that emphasizes technical skill, and Arsene Wenger is not afraid to give playing time to his younger players. You need look no further than Alex Iwobi, who already has 33 Premier League and eight European appearances under his belt at the age of 20. Although, U.S. fans will hope that Omidiji does not follow too closely in Iwobi’s footsteps, as he opted to represent Nigeria on the international stage.

Other players who benefited from early starts to their career under Wenger include Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere, who both made their Arsenal debuts when they were 16.

Omidiji can play as a forward or on either wing and has plenty of pace. The video compilation below shows that also clearly has plenty of talent.

Next: Three Takeaways from the USMNT January Camp

Lateef Omidiji Jr. still has a long road to travel. But Arsenal and U.S. fans should keep track of his name as one for the future.

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