Liverpool and Arsenal are set to appear before a tribunal after failing to agree the compensation owed for 16-year-old midfielder Vincent Joseph.
Joseph left Liverpool last month after declining a scholarship offer from the club. The agreement had needed to be signed by 1 July, but the teenager chose not to accept the proposal as interest in his future grew among a number of leading clubs.
The Liverpool Under-18s player attracted attention from Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Arsenal. It was Arsenal, the Premier League champions, who eventually won the race to secure Joseph’s signature.
The move has since led to negotiations between the two clubs over the compensation payment due to Liverpool. However, discussions have failed to produce an agreement, leaving the clubs at an impasse.
With no common ground reached, the dispute is now heading towards a tribunal, which will determine the amount Arsenal must pay Liverpool for Joseph.
The case represents an escalation in the disagreement between the clubs, although the issue is centred on compensation rather than the player’s decision to join Arsenal. Liverpool are seeking payment for the departure of a young player who had been part of their Under-18s side, while Arsenal have been unable to reach an agreement with their Premier League counterparts over the figure.
Joseph’s decision to reject Liverpool’s scholarship offer opened the way for him to consider opportunities elsewhere. The interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund underlined the competition for his signature before Arsenal completed the move.
The teenager is the latest young player to leave Liverpool for another club in the Premier League. The previous player to make such a move was Isaac Moran, according to the report.
The amount of compensation will now be decided through the tribunal process after negotiations between Liverpool and Arsenal broke down. Neither club was able to settle the matter directly, meaning the panel will determine what Liverpool should receive for Joseph.
The dispute follows a familiar route in cases involving young players when clubs cannot agree on compensation, but the source article provides no details of the date for the hearing or the value being claimed. For now, the next step is for the two clubs to take their disagreement to the tribunal and await its decision.