Incoming Arsenal January 2027 signing suffering from back injury | OneFootball

Arsenal-bound Victor Ozhianvuna remains sidelined with a back injury, with the Gunners involved in deciding his return to action.

The teenager will not officially join Arsenal until January 2027, but the club are already involved in decisions over his rehabilitation alongside Shamrock Rovers.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Arsenal confirmed the signing of then 16-year-old Victor Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers in October 2025. The Gunners agreed to pay an initial €2 million for the attacking midfielder, with add-ons potentially taking the deal beyond €4 million, while Shamrock Rovers also secured a sell-on clause. It is a record Irish deal.

Because of Brexit regulations, Ozhianvuna cannot move to Arsenal until he turns 18 on 10th January 2027.

He has reportedly agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract which will start upon his arrival, running until 2031.

A right-footed midfielder who generally operates on the left, Ozhianvuna has remained in Ireland since agreeing his move, but his development has been interrupted by a back injury that has already seen him miss 16 games with a 17th on the horizon.

Photo via Arsenal.com

Shamrock Rovers have described the problem as a muscle injury.

Manager Stephen Bradley has confirmed Ozhianvuna will miss Thursday’s UEFA Conference League play-off against KuPS.

The midfielder is due to undergo another scan within the next two weeks.

Shamrock Rovers will then discuss the findings with Arsenal before deciding when he is ready to return to first-team football, with the Gunners advising the Irish club.

The youngster has made 37 domestic appearances for Shamrock Rovers, scoring one and assisting two, along with 178 minutes across three appearances in the UEFA Conference League.

Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images