Elijah Upson joins Arsenal from Tottenham
Elijah Upson, son of former England international Matthew, has joined Arsenal from Tottenham. The Gunners have landed the 18-year-old after the defender chose not to sign professional terms with the Lilywhites.
Upson's move sees him join Arsenal at the same age as his father. Upson Sr arrived at Highbury from Luton Town and spent six years at the club before moving to Birmingham City, following loans at Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Reading.
The youngster makes the controversial move across London 25 years after the most significant move across north London when Sol Campbell made the switch. Campbell came through the ranks at Tottenham before crossing the north London divide after more than a decade with the club.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
The 73-cap England international joined Arsene Wenger's side on a free transfer after being expected to extend his stay at White Hart Lane. Confirmation of Campbell's move came in a shock press conference as Tottenham fans ultimately labelled him Judas.
Upson's move is unlikely to cause as much controversy as he looks to make his name in football. The teenager was drawn to the environment Arsenal offered to aid his development.
"It's a great feeling, really proud to be here," Upson said.
"[It's] really nice to have all my family and everyone around it, it's been a great experience.
"My dad signed here around the same time as me, it's great to have someone with a good experience of the place. But at the same time, I'm definitely looking forward to building my own reputation and getting started.
"When I met the guys here recently and met all the team and staff, it just seemed like a really nice environment. That was probably the biggest factor, an environment where you feel you can hopefully learn and get better as a person."
The pathway created by the likes of Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly in recent years was also a motivating factor behind the transfer.
"That was also one of the big reasons for my decision," he said.
"Obviously, great exposure to some of these great players that have had a great season here and some real top quality. I'm excited to hopefully be around and work with these people.
"I think definitely the centre-back partnership in the first team that there is between Saliba and Gabriel, they're a good inspiration and really experienced, high quality players. They've had a great season, definitely two players that I'm really keen to learn from and expose myself to hopefully."
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
