Arsenal confirm new deal for talented youth winger | OneFootball

Arsenal have announced a new professional contract for youth forward Louis Zecevic-John, with the player putting pen to paper this week.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

Arsenal have announced a few new professional contracts over the last few days, but most of them were no surprise.

Louie Copley, Cam’ron Ismail, Will Sweet, and Daniel Oyetunde were all out of contract this summer, but their returns to pre-season training effectively confirmed that they would be extending their stays before the Gunners had the chance to announce as much.

That’s not the case for Louis Zecevic-John, with the club confirming a first professional contract for the winger on Friday.

Photo via Arsenal Academy on Twitter

Zecevic-John still had another year on his scholarship contract, so there wasn’t as much of a rush to get things sorted. But Arsenal were clearly keen to ensure the youngster sticks around after a strong season in 2024/25.

The timing of the extension is perhaps deliberate. Zecevic-John turned 17 in January, meaning he’s been eligible for a professional deal for six months now.

But FIFA restrictions mean a first professional deal can only last a maximum of three years. Signing in January would have meant an end date of June 2027 at the latest, as June 2028 would be three-and-a-half years.

By signing this month, after the new footballing year began on July 1st, Zecevic-John is now able to commit until 2028.

Photo via Zecevic-John on Instagram

Zecevic-John impressed in 2024/25, racking up 14 goals and assists in 22 games. But the teenager has revealed he actually got his start at Arsenal by chance.

“I went to school with Per [Mertesacker’s] kids,” Zecevic-John admitted. “I usually just played football on the field for my school team.

“One day my mum, and Per, saw me playing quite well on the field. He took it upon himself to message my mum about the whole system, and the whole trialling and all that stuff. I was quite lucky, but I’m grateful.

“Now I’ve got the opportunity to not only showcase my talent, but also show my family how much hard work I’ve put in, which they don’t usually see in the training sessions, more so in the matches.”