As per a report from the Mirror, Premier League giants Arsenal are weighing up a move for Ipswich Town youngster Dylan Crowe. The 17-year-old full-back has been making all the right noises lately with the Ipswich youth team, alerting a number of clubs across Europe – including the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Manchester United (h/t Mirror).
However, Mirror claims that Arsenal are set to pip their competitors to land the defender. Amid strong interest in the Englishman, let’s take a closer look at what makes him such a precocious talent;
Born on 13th April 2001, Crowe has been with Ipswich Town since the age of 12, having joined in 2013. He has progressed rapidly through the youth ranks at the club.
The full-back became a part of Ipswich’s U18 setup last year and went on to sign a two-year scholarship deal with the Tractor Boys that will expire next season. He has been involved with the club’s U23 side as well.
Crowe broke into the England U16 setup last year and the right-back soon earned a spot in the Three Lions’ U17 setup. In fact, he was involved in the summer’s UEFA Under-17 European Championship as they made it to the semi-finals of the competition but were eliminated by eventual champions the Netherlands.
The right-back was named in the England U18 squad for three Limoges Tournament matches against the Netherlands, Russia and France last month as he made two appearances.
A modern-day full-back filled with natural attacking instincts, Crowe possesses a great burst of pace and has the ability to romp forward consistently down the wings. For someone his age, the youngster possesses good physical traits and has shown solid defensive nous and is a strong tackler.
Still 17, there is still a lot that the England youth international needs to work on. For example, he needs to polish the defensive side of his game and his end product at the other end of the pitch also needs to improve for him to fulfill the immense potential he has shown in his fledgeling career.
It is clear that the 17-year-old possesses loads of promise and has the technical ability to go with as well. Hence, it is quite natural that a number of big clubs are lining up to sign him.
Considering that he has already broken into the U23s at Ipswich, he would be better served by continuing his development at Portman Road. By doing so, Crowe would have a better chance of breaking into the first-team sooner than he would at a bigger club.
