Arsenal are on the verge of securing a permanent move for free agent and Norwegian winger George Lewis. (Image Credits: Daily Cannon)
According to Goal (h/t Metro), Arsenal are on the verge of finalising a deal for Norwegian winger George Lewis.
The 19-year-old winger is a free agent, having left Norwegian side Tromso and Arsenal are planning to land him after he impressed the club on a two-week trial. Lewis had earlier in March spent a fortnight with the Premier League side and has fared well enough to convince the Gunners to secure him on a permanent basis.
The report also states that Lewis would not follow the path of youngsters like Gabriel Martinelli and Matteo Guendouzi, who immediately broke into the senior squad following their arrival. Young Lewis would rather join Steve Bould’s under-23 side at Arsenal and undergo further development, where he will fight for a starting spot in manager Mikel Arteta’s first-team line-up.
Born in Kigali, Rwanda, Lewis first started his career in the youth ranks of Norwegian club Tromso IL before moving to third-tier side Tromsdalen in 2017. A brief spell at fellow third-tier side Larvik followed last summer, but Lewis is now a free agent and Arsenal hope to land him at the Emirates soon.
Arteta is in need of wingers, having lost Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi last summer. Mkhitaryan is currently on loan at Roma, however, his future at the Emirates remains an uncertainty while Iwobi moved to Everton permanently.
Arsenal did sign a winger last summer in Nicolas Pepe. The 24-year-old is currently the side’s top assist provider in the league with six to his name.
However, they still lack numbers in that department with youngster Reiss Nelson the only other winger in the side. Arsenal have had to deploy talismanic striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang across the left flank due to their lack established of wingers.
Moreover, with Aubameyang having just 14 months left in his current contract and clubs such as Barcelona hot on his trail, Arsenal’s decision to sign young Lewis seems like a step in the right direction.
Also, with their recent young signings Martinelli and Guendouzi making an instant impact sine landing at the club, Arsenal can hope that they Lewis will follow a similar path.
At the moment, Arsenal just have two established wingers in their ranks and could really do with a younger winger like Lewis. His arrival will also offer Arteta plenty of options in the attack ahead of next season. Moreover, he is still in his teens and could prove to be an excellent future investment if the Gunners manage to secure his services permanently.
