Major contract decision deals blow to Newcastle United and Arsenal's transfer hopes

Newcastle United and Arsenal have reportedly been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Swansea City youngster Aimar Govea.

The Ecuadorian winger has forged a reputation as one of the Swans most promising players as he made his way through the Championship club’s academy ranks in recent seasons and he has been backed to progress into the first-team setup over the coming months. Govea’s progress has not gone unnoticed and Wales Online have claimed Newcastle, Brighton, Arsenal and Southampton all showed interest in the 17-year-old and several La Liga clubs are also monitoring his progress.

However, any interested parties will now have to bide their time after Govea put pen-to-paper on a reported two-year deal, which also has an option to extend by a further 12 months. The report also reveals the youngster is now set to step up to Under-21 level with the Swans and there is some hope he can make an impact at a senior level in the near future.

After signing his first professional contract, Govea told the Swans official website: “It’s a proud moment for my family, they’ve helped me so much throughout my journey and it’s great to sign for this amazing club.  I want to say thank you to all of the staff that have worked with me over the years, they’ve been amazing. I’ve got to start pushing even harder now, just because I’ve signed a pro deal I can’t relax, I have to keep going.  I’m going to take it step by step, I’m not going to rush anything but I will work as hard as I can.”

United are believed to be keen to continue strengthening their academy ranks during the summer months and are believed to be monitoring several targets across the EFL and around Europe.