Gooner Daily reports that Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign Vincent Joseph from Liverpool, and the 16-year-old striker has also agreed personal terms. The clubs are still working through the fee, which means the move is not fully complete yet.
Joseph has scored eight goals in nine appearances for England’s under-16 side, a return that helps explain why Arsenal moved for him now. He also played in Liverpool’s under-18 Premier League side after his schoolboy registration contract expired at Anfield this summer.
Arsenal and Liverpool fee talks
Arsenal’s interest fits a wider push for emerging players they believe can reach the first team or generate future transfer value. Mylo Bernard has also agreed to join Arsenal from Crystal Palace, while Axel Donczew is set to arrive from Cardiff City, showing that this is part of a pattern rather than a one-off move.
The unresolved part is the compensation. Because Joseph is under the age of 24 and has not signed his first professional contract, the clubs can either settle on a fee themselves or send the case to a tribunal.
Professional Football Compensation Committee
That tribunal route goes through the Professional Football Compensation Committee, which weighs age, playing record, how long Joseph was at Liverpool, the status of both clubs, and the terms offered by each side. In practice, those factors shape what Liverpool receive if Arsenal and Liverpool do not agree first.
The same mechanism applies when a young player leaves before signing professional terms, so the fee is not a fixed number attached to the player’s move. It is assessed case by case, which is why the talks between Arsenal and Liverpool still matter even after the agreement with Joseph himself.
Joseph’s next step at Arsenal
Joseph now moves toward Arsenal with the paperwork side still to be settled. For Liverpool, the issue is the compensation value attached to a teenager who has already produced eight goals in nine England under-16 appearances and played at under-18 level.
The open question is simple: what fee will Arsenal owe Liverpool if the two clubs do not settle it themselves? Until that is resolved, the transfer sits between agreement and completion.
