Arsenal are raiding Manchester City for another key member of their backroom team with talent-spotter Sam Fagbemi set to move to the Emirates.

The Gunners are poised to appoint Mikel Arteta, currently City's assistant boss, as their next head coach - but Sportsmail understands Arsenal are also closing in on the Premier League champions' leading recruitment specialist.

Arsenal's move for Fagbemi is at an advanced stage and is expected to be concluded in the coming days, though City will fight to keep their highly-rated scout.

Mikel Arteta is not the only Manchester City employee who could be joining Arsenal very soon

Fagbemi, 25, currently leads City's youth scouting strategy in the south, working closely with head of academy recruitment and talent Joe Shields - who Arsenal have also tried to lure to the Emirates.

But Arsenal have offered Fagbemi a stronger grip on their youth recruitment approach in an effort to persuade him to leave City.

The City scout has been responsible for a number of southern-based youngsters joining the Etihad academy in recent months, something that has not gone unnoticed by the Gunners.

Fagbemi played a key role in City's successful moves for Millwall teenagers Sam Edozie, 16, and Darko Gyabi, 15, in the summer.

Josh Wilson-Eshbrand, 16, joined from West Ham and Ben Knight, 17, signed from Ipswich in the summer - two moves that were fronted by Fagbemi.

Arsenal are set to hire City's leading recruitment youth specialist Sam Fagbemi (not pictured)

City's ability to lure players north from clubs that are closer in proximity to Arsenal came as a frustration to the Gunners, and convinced academy director Per Mertesacker to hasten a significant shake-up of the the club's youth recruitment personnel.

Head of youth recruitment Steve Morrow was the biggest casualty in the restructuring of the club's academy scouting set-up, while as many as eight other spies were let go.

As well as Fagbemi, Arsenal are also targeting Wolves' highly-rated talent spotter Phil Antwi.