ARSENAL LOCKS DOWN QUINTERO TWINS; FUTURE ECUADORIAN STARS SECURED
Arsenal announces the strategic signing of 16-year-old twins Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente Del Valle, securing two highly-rated youth prospects for 2027.
Arsenal just announced they've signed 16-year-old twins Edwin and Holger Quintero from Independiente Del Valle. The deal will be official when the brothers turn 18 in August 2027.
The brothers were in London earlier this week to wrap up the deal, which ESPN first reported.
They aren't the first players to head to Arsenal from Independiente. Defender Piero Hincapié also started his career with the Ecuadorian club.
Let's look closer at the Quintero twins. Sources at ESPN say Arsenal has watched the brothers for over a year.
So, who are Edwin and Holger Quintero?
Edwin plays right wing, and Holger is an attacking midfielder. Both came up through Independiente del Valle's youth system and moved up quickly.
By 14, they'd already won the Ecuadorian under-15 championship and played for the U19 team.
Edwin is known for his speed, and he can change direction easily. He covers a lot of ground in the opposing half.
Holger stands out for his dribbling and speed, drawing comparisons to Ousmane Dembélé and Neymar.
They both admire Neymar, but when asked about Ecuadorian players, they said they admire Kendry Páez for his style.
They haven't played with Independiente del Valle's first team yet, but they've played in several youth tournaments.
They were also on Colombia's U-17 national team at the last South American Championship, where they impressed scouts.
The deal is seen as a big win for Arsenal's academy recruitment. Sources say a key thing was the clear path to the first team, as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and Max Dowman have shown.
How will they fit in at Arsenal?
Edwin and Holger will join Arsenal in August 2027 when they turn 18. A lot could happen by then.
Right now, Arsenal's best academy players include Max Dowman, the winger who has played for the first team at 15; forward Kyran Thompson; and midfielders Mishel Nduka and Emerson Nwaneri, Ethan's brother.
In 2027, some of those players might be regulars under Mikel Arteta. That means the Quintero twins could be competing with players like Luis Muñoz, who played in the UEFA Youth League at only 13.
MARTIN ODEGAARD RALLIES ARSENAL SQUAD AMID FEARS OF PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE "COLLAPSE"
Martin Odegaard says Arsenal’s title race is wide open. Read why Wayne Rooney is defending the players against fan boos.
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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard isn’t backing down. Even after Manchester City edged out the Gunners 2-1 at the Etihad, he says the Premier League title race is still wide open.
That loss stung; it leaves Arsenal on the verge of losing the top spot they’ve held for over 200 days. If City beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, Arsenal’s stretch at the summit ends, with just five games left in the season.
But the story isn’t over yet. Even if City pulls level on points, Odegaard wants his teammates focused on one thing: bouncing back with a win against Newcastle at the Emirates this Saturday.
“We have to keep going,” Odegaard said after the match. “This was always going to go to the wire, so we have to stick together, keep working, and look to the next game. We’ll move on, bounce back, and right now, it’s all still to play for. Honestly, this is the fun part of the season; we can’t wait for the next game.”
It’s been a tough stretch for Arsenal. Sunday’s loss marked the fourth defeat in a row across domestic competitions, starting with City beating them in the Carabao Cup final, a surprising FA Cup defeat to Southampton, and a crushing home loss to Bournemouth.
The cracks are showing, and some supporters have started to worry Arsenal are “bottling” their title charge. The Emirates felt tense after the Bournemouth game, the crowd frustrated enough to boo as the players left the pitch.
But there’s not much time to dwell on it. While City are juggling their FA Cup semi-final this weekend, Arsenal host a shaky Newcastle side. It’s a golden chance to reset and claw back some momentum.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has stepped in with a message for Arsenal fans: now’s the time to rally. Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he didn’t mince words. “Arsenal fans need to be better. I saw them boo the team. Look, Arsenal have been brilliant all season. They’re having a bad run, but fan support means everything to those players.”
He gets it: getting booed after a tough run cuts deep. “Arsenal’s players have worked so hard to be in this position. If you want to win the league, the fans have to help. They’re desperate to win, but they have a part to play.”
GABRIEL JESUS CLASHES WITH HECKLING CITY FANS DURING HIGH-TENSION 2-1 DEFEAT
Gabriel Jesus reminds Man City fans of his 11 trophies during a heated spat at the Etihad. Is the pressure hitting Arsenal?
Gabriel Jesus got into it with a Man City fan on Sunday, and the whole thing boiled over during Arsenal’s tense Premier League match at the Etihad. Jesus, now 29, didn’t even make it off the bench. Mikel Arteta chose to bring on Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Viktor Gyökeres instead as Arsenal fell 2-1. So Jesus just kept himself busy warming up on the sideline.
He spent five years at City, from 2017 to 2022, before heading to Arsenal. But that history didn’t buy him any love from the crowd. During his warmup, with cameras rolling for a social media clip titled “I love watching Arsenal cry,” a City supporter behind him started heckling, shouting, “Judas, what’s the score?”
Jesus snapped. He turned, walked right up to the fan, pointed at himself, then at the pitch, and shot back: “I have won 11 titles here.” The fan wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, but who are you now? Who are you now?” Jesus responded with a mocking hand gesture.
If you go back, Jesus joined City from Palmeiras when he was just 19. Over five and a half years, he scored 95 goals in 236 games. That run saw City win four league titles, four EFL Cups, an FA Cup, and two Community Shields. He was a big part of all that.
In 2022, he decided he wanted more starts, so he moved to Arsenal for £45 million. He began well in North London, but things haven’t gone smoothly since he’s struggled with injuries, including a major knee issue he only got back from in December, and he’s started just two league matches since. So far, he’s scored 31 goals in 120 appearances for Arsenal, but he’s still waiting for his first piece of silverware with them.
And after Sunday’s loss, Arsenal saw their lead at the top shrink to just three points. Man City also have a game in hand; they can grab the top spot if they beat Burnley on Wednesday.
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