Arsenal and Liverpool Tribunal Over Vincent Joseph Fee

Arsenal and Liverpool are heading for a tribunal over highly rated teenager Vincent Joseph after failing to agree a fee for the 16-year-old striker.

Arsenal have moved to bring Joseph into their youth ranks this summer on the back of a standout spell in Liverpool’s academy, where he has been regarded as one of the most impressive performers in his age group in recent months. The youngster was keen on the switch, attracted by the Gunners’ offer and the pathway on offer in north London.

He has now left Liverpool to continue his development at Arsenal, despite the Merseyside club’s attempts to keep him. Liverpool pushed hard to convince him to stay, putting a scholarship deal on the table which they felt would best serve his progression. Joseph turned it down and made clear he wanted to join Arsenal.

Liverpool then tried to reach an agreement over compensation once it became obvious they would lose him, but talks between the clubs failed to produce a deal. With no middle ground found, the case will now go before a tribunal.

According to Mirror Football, that panel will decide how much Arsenal must pay Liverpool for Joseph, setting the compensation figure for a player viewed as one of the leading prospects in his age bracket in England. The ruling will draw a line under the dispute between the two clubs.

Joseph will now link up with a crop of some of the most highly regarded young talents in the country at Arsenal’s academy. The move marks a significant step in his career, a bold choice to leave a major club’s youth system for another. Arsenal, for their part, clearly believe they have secured a forward with major upside — and they will expect his progress in London to justify the fight to bring him south.