Arsenal youngster George Dobson has been training with West Ham United this week ahead of a possible move to the East London club.

It became clear at the end of last season that the 17-year-old, who has progressed through the ranks with the Gunners, would be moving on to pastures new for the 2015/16 campaign, although it had previously been suggested that Newcastle United would be his destination.

However, yesterday Dobson, who can play as a centre-back or a defensive-midfielder, trained with West Ham, suggesting that a move to Slaven Bilic’s side could soon be on the cards for the youngster.

Dobson broke into Arsenal’s U18 team as a schoolboy and featured for the U21s last season during the first year of his scholarship. However, it is believed that he is finding it difficult to envisage himself making the grade at Arsenal with several players ahead of him in both of his preferred positions, not least Krystian Bielik, who, despite being younger than Dobson, was immediately promoted to the first-team squad when he joined the club earlier this year.

Dobson remains under contract with Arsenal having signed his first professional deal last November, meaning that the club would receive a fee should a move materialise.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s new scholars are set to start training themselves this week and they could be joined by three new signings in defender Kostas Pileas and French youngsters Yassin Fortune and Jeff Reine-Adelaide, who are believed to have completed their moves to the club.