Manchester United 'hijack Arsenal striker move' in fresh transfer twist

Blackburn starlet Igor Tyjon subject of heavyweight battle with scholarship terms set to expire this summer

Arsenal look to face a battle with Manchester United for the signing of striker Igor Tyjon .

The highly-rated 17-year-old is attracting plenty of transfer interest after shining for Blackburn at youth level and featuring regularly for England’s youth sides.

Tyjon made his Under-21 debut for Rovers aged just 15 and has been a frequent fixture in senior matchday squads over recent seasons, making his professional debut in September 2024 when he replaced Yuki Ohashi for the final stages of a 3-0 home win over Bristol City in the Championship.

He also featured as a late substitute in the 1-0 win at Sunderland back in April and made his lone first-team appearance of the current season to date in August, starting for the first time for Blackburn and playing just over an hour in the shock 2-1 defeat by Bradford in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

However, the uncertainty around his future at Ewood Park means he has not featured since despite Blackburn having dealt with a number of injuries in attack.

According to The Sun , Manchester United have now entered the race for Tyjon, with Arsenal having reportedly been tracking him for a while and seen a number of offers for the player rejected.

Tyjon is said to have rejected the chance to sign a first professional contract at Blackburn and will see scholarship terms signed in the summer of 2024 expire at the end of the season, when any club who move to sign him will have to pay compensation.

"We were in discussion with him to extend his contract. He decided not to extend his contract," Rovers boss Valerien Ismael recently told the Lancashire Telegraph on why Tyjon has not been involved for the first team over recent months.

"So for us, it's clear that from 1st of January, he might leave the club. So that's why we are focused now on the players who are for us, for the future.

"As I said, it's a chance at least in that period of time to see some academy players. I think they are doing very well at the moment. They really help us to bridge the gap until the players come back from injury."