Arsenal face competition from Borussia Dortmund in bid to sign Sporting ace Joelson Fernandes

Sporting’s young star Joelson Fernandes has been of significant interest to English Premier League club Arsenal, but they face competition from abroad.

Borussia Dortmund have entered the hunt for the 17-year old Portugal youth international, who is highly rated by his boyhood club, and the Lisbon club believe that he has the potential to reach the very top.

He has already played four times for Sporting CP despite his young age, and Arsenal have been attentive to his situation, having already submitted an offer of 15 million euros for his services.

That offer falls far below his current release clause, though, which stands are 45 million euros, and Sporting will be holding out for a fee much closer to that valuation for his services.

It is understood that Arsenal will be willing to match his release clause if necessary, although Joelson is not currently interested in extending his contract with Sporting, which expires in 2022, and that could force Sporting’s hand.

Sporting have been hoping to increase his contract termination fee to as much as 100 million euros, though Joelson is likely looking to keep his release clause low in order to keep his options open and to not be priced out of a move in the future.

However, as Arsenal continue to attempt to sign the forward for a fee well below his release clause, clubs such as Dortmund and Juventus are beginning to accelerate their interest, which could force Arsenal to raise their bid substantially.