Arsenal face Manchester City transfer hijack threat for Championship forward | OneFootball

Manchester City are eyeing a potential move for one of Arsenal’s attacking transfer targets this summer, according to reports.

That concerns the future of Blackburn Rovers’ teenage talent Igor Tyjon – a familiar name within England youth circles, and now at the centre of an emerging transfer tussle between three of the Premier League’s biggest clubs.

The 17-year-old made headlines last season when he became the third-youngest player in Blackburn’s history to make a first-team appearance, with his debut coming in a 3-0 victory over Bristol City in September 2024.

Tyjon would feature again in April against eventual play-off winners Sunderland, while the Southport-born attacker’s rapid development through the ranks has earned him recognition on the international stage too, progressing from England Under-16s to Under-17s, scoring twice in eight appearances.

His potential has not gone unnoticed by England’s elite, with top-flight sides continuing to seek the next breakout talent from the EFL, and competition for Tyjon’s signature having intensified.

From the part of Blackburn Rovers, it is expected that the club will be stubborn in negotiations, with Arsenal’s opening bid swiftly rejected, indicating they are unwilling to let their academy graduate go cheaply.

Now, according to the information of SportsBoom, both Manchester United and Manchester City have made enquiries about the possibility of snatching highly-rated Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon from under the nose of rivals Arsenal.

The exciting Ewood Park talent is wanted by the Gunners this summer, but the Lancashire club have already shown no hesitation in rejecting a £1 million bid from North London for the 17-year-old Southport-born forward.

Arsenal are reportedly weighing up a bigger offer, while United and City have initiated exploratory talks with Tyjon about joining their own academies, with a view towards loaning the player back out to the Championship if possible this summer.

City’s approach fits a familiar trend in recent seasons, with the club aggressively investing in elite teenage talent from across England and Europe. The City Football Academy remains one of the most advanced development environments in world football, with a clear path to first-team training and an established loan system.

The idea of signing Igor Tyjon and immediately loaning him back to Blackburn Rovers or another Championship side would allow him to continue developing in a familiar league while benefiting from Manchester City’s elite-level coaching.

However, Arsenal remain firmly in the picture and will likely return with an improved offer, especially given their emphasis on youth under Mikel Arteta. Tyjon’s style of play — energetic, technically sharp, and direct — could suit the Gunners’ own system, but they will need to act quickly if they hope to fend off competition from both sides of Manchester.

Blackburn, for their part, are under no pressure to sell immediately. With Tyjon still under contract and continuing to develop well within their first-team structure, Rovers are likely to demand both a significant fee and clauses that tie in with the player’s future.