According to Team Talk, Hearts teenager Alfie Osborne looks set to leave the club in the summer and is increasingly likely to join a Premier League team’s setup. Arsenal and Manchester City are currently leading the race, as per the report, with the likes of Aston Villa and Leeds United also interested.
The top Premier League teams are always on the lookout for young talents who would grace their academy or younger teams in their system. Arsenal and Manchester City, especially the latter, have been extremely ambitious in that aspect over the last few years, while the Gunners are steadily catching up with separate academy budgets.
Hearts teenager Alfie Osborne is the latest player to be linked with the two Premier League giants, with the midfield prodigy already making a big name for himself in Scotland. Scouts from those teams, as well as others, were present to watch the 17-year-old Scottish prodigy in action for the Scotland Under-19 team in their 3-0 defeat to Italy.
The report states that the watching scouts felt that Osborne was the best player on the pitch despite the heavy nature of Scotland Under-19s’ defeat. Whilst there was already a certainty that Premier League sides liked the Hearts teenager, this game may have cemented their assertions, as Arsenal and Manchester City lead the race, while Aston Villa and Leeds United are also interested.
Given that none of those teams are likely to promote Osborne to their first team upon signing him, the choice for the midfielder is to pick the right club for his immediate development. Hence, the likes of Arsenal or Manchester City might get the upper hand in that regard, given their impeccable track record in developing young talents.
Hearts have tried their best to hold on to the player and may have offered a professional contract, which the report states the player has no plans to sign. The story also claimed that interested parties can sign him for a fee lower than £250,000, which will serve as compensation for the Scottish side.
He is yet to choose his next club, but is more likely to take up an offer from one of those English sides. Arsenal and Manchester City are likely to commence a battle of sorts for Osborne, while Leeds United and Aston Villa will continue to keep tabs until the teenager makes a final decision on his future ahead of the summer.
