Club Brugge have completed the signing of 16-year-old defender Emmanuel Fejokwu from West Ham United, FootballTransfers understands. The highly-rated youngster has joined the Belgian side’s reserve team, Club NXT, and signed a three-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2029.
Arsenal, along with Ajax, AC Milan, and Barcelona, were all reportedly interested in securing Fejokwu’s signature and “tried everything” to bring him to their respective clubs, but the player ultimately chose to move to Belgium. Fejokwu confirmed his departure from West Ham on Instagram, expressing gratitude for his nine years with the club and the development he experienced both on and off the pitch.
Fejokwu has represented both England and the Netherlands at the under-15 and under-16 levels, and is also eligible to play for Nigeria internationally. Last season, he made 11 appearances in the U18 Premier League for West Ham, scoring one goal. His departure represents a loss for the West Ham academy, which has produced several notable players in recent years.
This setback for Arsenal comes after they also missed out on Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, who is set to join Manchester City. The Gunners had agreed personal terms with Monga, but were unable to agree a fee with Leicester, allowing City to step in with a bid of just under €12 million. Despite missing out on these two young prospects, Arsenal are reportedly continuing to pursue deals for established first-team players, including Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad for the 2026-27 season. The signings of Guimaraes and Rogers would add experience and quality to Arsenal’s already competitive squad.
