Arsenal are ‘stepping up’ their level of interest in teenage twins Edwin and Holger Quintero after scouting them for a number of months.
The 16-year-olds play for Ecuadorian club Independiente Del Valle, where a number of impressive prospects have emerged from in recent years.
Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez, both now at Chelsea, came from the club in Quito, as did Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie and Paris Saint-Germain’s Willian Pacho.
Chelsea have not finished with their business with Independiente Del Valle as they have confirmed a deal to bring in defender Deinner Ordonez in January 2028, when he turns 18.
Clearly there are chances to pick up bargains in Ecuador and see the value of those players vastly increase.
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Caicedo is the best example of the lot as Brighton snapped him up from Independiente del Valle in February 2021 for just £4m and sold him to the Blues in August 2023 for £100m.
Arsenal believe they may have found the next stars to graduate from the impressive academy in the Quintero twins.
The Daily Mail report that the Gunners have been scouting the pair for a year and are now ‘stepping up’ interest in signing them.
The likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Sevilla have also shown interest in the teenagers so Arsenal cannot afford to wait too long to make their move.
Edwin is a right winger, who can also operate centrally, while Holger is more regularly deployed in a central attacking position.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano explained Chelsea’s deal for Ordonez last week, saying on his YouTube channel: ‘Chelsea have completed a deal for young centre back Deinner Ordonez, born in 2009 and widely regarded as one of Ecuador’s standout talents.
‘Ecuador continue to produce an impressive number of young players, with Independiente del Valle again at the heart of their development work.
‘Independiente del Valle have already produced players like Kendry Paez and Moises Caicedo, and when it comes to centre backs, names such as Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie have emerged from the same system. Ordonez follows that line. He is tall, fast, and highly rated, although he will need time to adapt to European football.
‘Three other clubs were in the race, including two in England and one in Germany, but Chelsea moved quickly. Their scouting department have monitored Ordonez for months, observing him on and off the pitch. When the moment came to act, they were fast and decisive.
‘Chelsea have agreed a long-term contract with Ordonez and have an excellent relationship with Independiente del Valle, which made the negotiation straightforward. The plan is for Ordonez to arrive in London in December 2027 or January 2028. He may visit Cobham earlier to take photos and prepare for the move.
‘Everything is signed, and the club have been in Ecuador to finalise the agreement. The official announcement will follow.’