Arsenal prospect Gedion Zelalem moves to London from Washington to begin professional pursuits
Gedion Zelalem, the Bethesda teenager recruited by English Premier League club Arsenal, has moved to London and will not play for Walter Johnson High School this fall, Wildcats Coach Mike Williams said.
Zelalem, who last year was a freshman midfielder on the Maryland Class 4A state runner-up squad, is scheduled to formally join Arsenal’s youth system when he turns 16 in January.
To meet FIFA requirements for underage players, Zelalem’s family has relocated to England with him and his father has found a job.
Zelalem is a German citizen of Ethiopian descent and moved to the United States with his family in 2006. He has trained with both the U.S. under-15 national team and German youth program.