Arsenal Secures Phoenix Blayney from Larne Over Liverpool

Arsenal have beaten Liverpool and Nottingham Forest to the signature of highly rated Larne teenager Phoenix Blayney, landing one of Northern Ireland’s most talked‑about young prospects.

The 15-year-old impressed during a trial with the Gunners, convincing academy staff that he was worth a concerted push. That push has paid off. Despite serious interest from Liverpool – where he was even pictured at Anfield in club gear after a visit to their training base – and a contract offer from Forest, Blayney has opted for north London.

“Everything has been agreed with Arsenal, he just needs to sign the contract,” he told the Belfast Telegraph. “It’s done and dusted and a pre-contract will be signed when the time is right.”

The plan is clear. Blayney is expected to join up with Arsenal this summer on a pre-contract agreement, before signing professional terms when he turns 17 in November 2027. It is a pathway the club knows well. Marli Salmon and Max Dowman have already trodden the same route this season, both committing to pre-contracts that will convert into professional deals on their 17th birthdays.

For Phoenix and his family, Arsenal stood out in a crowded field of Premier League suitors.

Blayney’s father described the Gunners as the “shining light between them all” when weighing up the offers on the table. The teenager’s own experience in north London appears to have sealed it.

“Phoenix enjoyed being at Arsenal, he felt a connection there and really likes the coaches,” his father said.

There is also a familiar face waiting for him. One of his close friends, Daniel McCarron, has already joined Arsenal, a detail that helped tilt the decision. “One of his good friends Daniel McCarron has joined the club and that’s probably one of the reasons too. Him and Daniel play in the same Northern Ireland team,” his father added.

For Arsenal, this is another statement in a long-term strategy. The club have been aggressive in recruiting elite talent at academy level, building a pipeline designed to feed Mikel Arteta’s first team in the years ahead. Inside that plan, Phoenix Blayney is not a project on a whim. He is viewed as one of the standout prospects in his age group.

The battle to sign him is over. The real contest, the one that starts on the training pitches of London Colney, is only just beginning.