Ecuadorian twins Edwin and Holger Quintero offer a glimpse into the club's future, rubbing shoulders with Mikel Arteta’s senior stars during a high-profile familiarisation visit to London.
Future Arsenal signings Edwin and Holger Quintero have been spotted training with the first-team squad before officially joining the club.
The Ecuadorian twins are due to move to Arsenal from Independiente del Valle in August 2027, when they turn 18. Arsenal confirmed in December that an agreement had been reached for the pair, with the club describing them as “highly sought-after” young players.
Edwin and Holger both appeared to be involved with Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad this week, with glimpses of the pair shown in Arsenal’s latest 'Inside Training' video ahead of the Premier League clash with West Ham.
Their involvement gave them an early experience of the senior environment in north London, despite the fact they will not officially join the club until 2027.
The training appearance appears to be part of a wider familiarisation visit. The 16-year-olds were also at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night to watch Arsenal book their place in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.
The pair are currently in London getting a feel for the club, with time spent around the youth setup as well as some involvement in first-team sessions. They are expected to remain with Arsenal until May 13 before returning to Independiente del Valle.
The pair remain players for Independiente del Valle and will not fully link up with Arsenal until 2027, but the training involvement is another sign of how the club are managing their development before the move formally goes through.
Edwin is a right winger, while Holger operates in midfield. Both have represented Ecuador at under-17 level and are viewed as two of the most promising young players to emerge from Independiente del Valle’s academy system.
The deal also reflects Arsenal’s growing focus on securing elite young talent before they become more expensive or attract even wider competition. Brexit rules mean English clubs cannot bring overseas players into their academy system before they turn 18, but Arsenal have still moved early to make sure the pathway is in place.
That makes this week’s training involvement notable. It does not change the timeline of their move, but it gives the Quintero twins a chance to experience Arsenal’s standards, facilities and first-team environment before their official arrival.
For Arteta and Arsenal, it also allows the club to begin building familiarity early. The jump from South American youth football to an elite Premier League environment is significant, and opportunities like this can help smooth that transition.
The twins were also reportedly at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid, adding to what appears to be a short familiarisation period with the club before returning to their current setup.
Arsenal supporters will still have to wait before seeing Edwin and Holger in club colours competitively. Their arrival is planned for the summer of 2027, and their development at Independiente del Valle will remain important in the meantime.
But their presence in first-team training offers an early glimpse of Arsenal’s long-term planning. The club have secured two highly rated prospects, and although their move is still more than a year away, the process of integrating them into the Arsenal environment has already begun.