Blackburn Rovers are the latest club set to be poached of upcoming prospects by a Premier League outfit. Reports from Alan Nixon suggest Arsenal are placing their interest on Igor Tyjon.
The 17-year-old academy player has played just six minutes of Championship football for Rovers this season, with five of those coming against Sunderland in a 1-0 victory at the end of April. However, the performances for Blackburn’s academy side clearly earned him this inclusion and the striker is now being linked with the North London outfit.
Seven goals in 19 PL2 appearances since November 2023 has been enough to garner interest from Mikel Arteta’s Premier League runners-up. With the Gunners consistently maintaining this place in the top-flight, a focus towards investing in the future is now more evident. Tyjon has bagged against the respective academies of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion this season as well as held a place on the bench for seven first-team domestic outings.
Labels Of Praise
According to Jacek Kulig – ‘Football Talent Scout’ on X – Tyjon has been labelled as the ‘most talented Rovers academy’ player since Adam Wharton, who signed for Crystal Palace for an overall fee of £22 million in 2024. With this in mind, a cut-price fee of £1 million is said to be the upcoming offer on the table from Arsenal.
Early International Performances
Tyjon’s development in international standards has also been noticed, with the 17-year-old shining in both England’s under-16 and 17 set-ups. Two goals against Saudi Arabia in his national youth debut in the under-16s has been backed up by two goals in eight appearances for the age group higher. Max Dowman was also involved in that starting line-up, who currently holds a place in the Arsenal academy and may be reunited with the young forward in the near future. Also, with the striker’s dual nationality, Tyjon has appeared three times for Poland’s under-16s, scoring twice.
Writer’s View
With Arsenal’s recurrent ability to nurture top talent, and either implement them into their first team set-up or ensure a decent profit is made from departures, Tyjon will be in safe hands. The move will likely go ahead as the youngster will have a golden opportunity to break through at a top Premier League outfit.
The 17-year-old will be joining an academy that has produced the likes of Bukayo Saka, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri in very recent years. If Tyjon can prove his admirers right in a much higher standard team, then the sky really is the limit for the forward.
Consequently, this move suits every party involved – although Rovers will likely regret such a small fee being accepted in years to come. Arsenal are initiating a low-risk, high-reward move and Tyjon will continue to develop in world class facilities in North London.
