Arsenal agree third deal of January transfer window as young defender nears move | OneFootball

Gunners agree deal for centre-back with League Two side

Arsenal have agreed a deal to sell young defender Maldini Kacurri to League Two side Grimsby.

The 20-year-old will exit on a permanent basis in what will be the third deal done by Arsenal in the January transfer window after Ethan Nwaneri and Louie Copley joined Marseille and Crawley on loan respectively.

He has made one appearance for Arsenal as a substitute in their 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Bolton last season.

Arsenal have a sell-on clause as part of the deal.

Maldini Kacurri is joining League Two side Grimsby

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Grimsby are ninth in League Two and targeting promotion in a season which they stunned Manchester United in a famous Carabao Cup upset in August.

The Mariners, who have won their last six matches without conceding a goal to shoot up the table, have moved for no-nonsense centre-back Kacurri to boost their promotion bid.

Kacurri made his Albania debut when in September and has been in the Arsenal academy since joining from Fulham in 2022.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at Bromely before moving to Morecambe last summer.

Arsenal have had a quiet January window and are not expected to do any big business before the deadline on Monday.

The Gunners have allowed Nwaneri to join Marseille on loan and Ajax are in talks over a loan move for Oleksandr Zinchenko, but the Gunners have not made any new signings.