Arsenal have reached an agreement to sign Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero, with the 16-year-olds set to move to the club when they turn 18 in August 2027. The pair currently play for Independiente del Valle and are regulars for Ecuador’s U17 side.
Edwin is a left-footed winger who operates on the right and is praised for his pace and dribbling. Holger, a right-footed attacking midfielder, is noted for his progressive passing and quick feet that allow him to beat opponents. Arsenal say they will work closely with Independiente del Valle on both players’ development and welfare until the twins join the club. The transfer remains subject to the completion of required regulatory processes.
Independiente del Valle have a strong recent record of producing top-level talent: Arsenal defender Piero Hincapié began his career there, while Chelsea’s Moisés Caicedo and PSG’s Willian Pacho were also developed in the club’s academy.
Analysis — Arsenal’s youth-first recruitment
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright says the Quintero deal underlines Arsenal’s continued focus on young talent. It follows other recent moves aimed at bolstering the academy and the club’s pipeline — notably goalkeeper Tommy Setford from Ajax and 16-year-old Irish forward Victor Ozhianvuna from Shamrock Rovers.
While many of these signings are designed to strengthen youth ranks, Arsenal are also scouting players who could step into the first team sooner. Reported targets include Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza (21) and, according to reports in Germany, Eintracht Frankfurt winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya (20), although Arsenal currently have depth in attacking areas.
The Quintero agreement illustrates how Arsenal are casting a wide net internationally and targeting clubs famed for youth development. Chelsea have also been active in the same market — they recently signed Kendry Paez from the same region — but Arsenal moved quickly to secure the Quintero twins’ future arrival.