Arsenal close in on Igor Tyjon signing after Blackburn teenager posts farewell message

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Blackburn Rovers striker Igor Tyjon, with the 18-year-old all but confirming his departure after posting a farewell message on Instagram on Tuesday before deleting it. The Gunners are set to pay an initial £1 million for the teenager, with a further £2 million potentially available in add-ons.

In the since-deleted post, Tyjon wrote: “I would like to thank Rovers for the last 3 years. Thank you to all my teammates and staff throughout the years. I’ve made friendships for life and memories I won’t forget. Lots of ups and downs and learning on the way. The last couple of months have been tough due to certain people and reasons I can’t say but I will never forget the good times at this club.”

The pointed reference to a difficult final few months appears to reflect frustration at Blackburn’s repeated rejection of Arsenal’s approaches, with several bids rebuffed before a breakthrough was finally reached last week. Tyjon reportedly underwent a medical ahead of the agreement.

Despite making his senior debut for Blackburn, Tyjon opted against signing professional terms at Ewood Park. He has accumulated 69 first-team minutes across three appearances, while his primary output has come in Premier League 2, where he scored 10 goals and contributed two assists in 20 outings. He has not featured at all for Blackburn this season.

Tyjon is expected to initially join Arsenal’s under-21 setup, though the club has not ruled out involving him with the senior squad at some point this season.

His arrival is part of a broader effort by Arsenal to reinvigorate their academy recruitment after losing several promising prospects to rivals. Manchester United successfully attracted both Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi, with Heaven becoming a regular under Michael Carrick. In response, Arsenal have moved to sign James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye from Old Trafford, with both arriving on free transfers. Ogunneye has already completed a medical, and substantial sell-on clauses are expected to be included in both deals.