Arsenal Agree To Recruit Twins From Ecuador

JAKARTA - Arsenal have agreed to a principle agreement to recruit twins from Ecuador, Edwin and Holger Quintero, from Independiente Del Valle when they turned 18 in August 2027.

The two 16-year-olds are in London this week and are expected to complete a formality including signing their contracts before an official announcement in the future.

According to ESPN reports, the costs involved are currently unclear, but this move continues Arsenal's efforts to recruit next-generation best talent, including confirmation in October 2025 that another 16-year-old, Victor Ozhianvuna, will join the Gunners of Shamrock Rovers in January 2027 when he turns 18.

Independien, Ecuador's Serie A team, is considered a hotbed of country talent after generating Moises Caicedo (Chelsea) and Piero Hincapie, who joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in September 2025 on a one-season loan with the option to make it permanent.

Chelsea have also agreed to an agreement to recruit teenage players Kendry Peez and Deinner Ordonez from Independiente, but Arsenal beat competition from top clubs across Europe to get the Quintero twins.

Reportedly, the Gunners have been monitoring both of them for more than a year. Edwin Quintero is an agile right-wing player who has been compared to young Neymar, while Holger is seen as a capable attacking midfielder.

This agreement is seen as a success for the club's academy recruitment team. The key factor is a clear path to the first team marked by recent developments in Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, and most recently Max Dowman.

Dowman, who turns 16 in December 2025, signed a scholarship with the club in October 2025 and has made his Premier League and Champions League debut this season.

His performance as a substitute against Slavia Prague last month made him the youngest player to ever appear in the Champions League.