Arsenal have moved decisively in the youth market, confirming the signing of highly rated Crystal Palace striker Mylo Bernard on a scholarship deal with professional terms already locked in.
The 16-year-old joins as part of the club’s 2026/27 scholarship intake, with a pre-contract agreement in place that will see him sign professional terms the moment he turns 17. It’s a long-term play, and a very deliberate one.
A ruthless finisher at youth level
Arsenal’s announcement underlined exactly why they pushed so hard to get this done. Bernard hit more than 40 goals for the Palace academy last season, a staggering return at any level, and did it while stepping outside his comfort zone.
Six of those goals came in the u18 Premier League, where he was playing above his age group. He didn’t just cope. He thrived.
That scoring touch has already translated onto the international stage. Bernard is an England youth international, with four goals and two assists in eight appearances for the England u16s. The numbers paint a clear picture: this is a forward who finds the net, repeatedly, wherever he plays.
Arsenal’s academy rebuild gathers pace
Bernard is not an isolated signing. He is part of a broader, aggressive reshaping of the Arsenal academy this summer.
The club have brought in Daniel McCarron from Dungannon Swifts, Elijah Upson from Tottenham Hotspur, Phoenix Blayney from Larne FC, Igor Tyjon from Blackburn Rovers, James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye from Manchester United, Axel Donczew from Cardiff City, and Andria Bartishvili from Kolkheti 1913. Some have already completed moves, others have agreed deals that will formally kick in for 2027.
It is a clear pattern. Arsenal are not waiting for talent to emerge on their doorstep. They are going out to find it, and they are doing it early.
Bernard, with his goal record and international pedigree, sits right at the heart of that strategy.
Compensation battles and the Vincent Joseph chase
Securing him has not been straightforward. Because of his age, Bernard could not simply walk away from Crystal Palace as a free agent when his contract expired this summer. Arsenal had to agree a compensation package with Palace to get the deal over the line.
They now face a similar scenario with another target.
Arsenal are believed to be closing in on the signing of Vincent Joseph from Liverpool, another academy forward whose contract with his previous club also ran out this summer. The situation mirrors Bernard’s in structure, but not yet in outcome.
This time, the clubs have been unable to settle on a compensation figure. As a result, Joseph’s move is heading for a tribunal, where a fee will be set.
For Bernard, though, the path is clear. The paperwork is done, the plan is in place, and one of the most prolific young strikers in the country now belongs to Arsenal’s future.
