By Dayo Awoniyi
Arsenal have confirmed that teenage left-back Cam’ron Ismail has signed his first professional contract with the club, marking a key step in the development of the highly rated defender of Nigerian and Egyptian descent.
The 18-year-old, who joined the Gunners’ Hale End Academy in 2021, has steadily risen through the youth ranks.
Last season, he made 16 appearances for Arsenal’s U18s and also featured at U21 level in Premier League 2, the UEFA Youth League, and the EFL Trophy.
Born and raised in Islington—just minutes from the Emirates Stadium—Ismail began his football journey as a striker with Camden Elite before transitioning to a defensive role. His versatility and growth have drawn attention both locally and internationally.
Though he is yet to make a senior appearance, Ismail has trained with Mikel Arteta’s first team on multiple occasions, reflecting the club’s belief in his potential.
Internationally eligible for England, Nigeria, and Egypt, Ismail has so far leaned toward representing Egypt, having trained with their youth setup.
Arsenal described the new deal as a “proud moment” for the player and his family, as he sets his sights on breaking into the senior squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.