Fabrizio Romano claims Arsenal have sold ‘hugely talented’ gem to Premier League rivals

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Arsenal have reportedly sold an exciting young talent who was once deemed one of the best youngsters in England.

Over the course of the day, speculation linking Gunners academy defender Lino Sousa with a switch to Aston Villa intensified.

Fabrizio Romano declared “here we go” on Sousa to Villa on Wednesday afternoon, saying Arsenal and the Villans had reached an agreement over a permanent move.

Later on in the day, the transfer insider claimed that the Villans “have” the 19-year-old, who had completed his medical, and also looks set for a loan switch to Plymouth.

And on Wednesday evening, Romano said on X that Sousa has finally signed the contract to make him a Villa player, putting an end to his time at Arsenal.

Lino Sousa switches from Arsenal to Aston Villa

As per the reports, Sousa has returned to the West Midlands after two years at Arsenal.

He originally joined the Gunners setup from West Bromwich Albion back in January 2022.

The Athletic reported at the time that people at West Brom felt Sousa was ‘outstanding’ and ‘among the best in the country’ at his age level.

Sousa didn’t need long to impress at Hale End as the “hugely talented” defender became a key Under-21s player.

In 2022, Charles Watts said on his YouTube channel: “(He) made a big, big impression in the second half of the season, really hugely talented player.

“Lots of people at the club rave about him when you speak to them about how good this kid is.”

This season, Sousa has made 14 appearances for Arsenal at youth level, also registering three goals in the process.

He has been in and around the Gunners first team of late and has been seen in senior training sessions.

However, Sousa hasn’t made a senior appearance for Arsenal. Now, he’ll get the chance to prove himself at Villa, following his loan at Plymouth.