Arsenal winger snubs first international call-up over three-way eligibility battle

Arsenal U21 star Charles Sagoe Jr is on Liberia's radar

Arsenal Under-21s winger Charles Sagoe Jr has snubbed a senior call-up from Liberia as he wants to bide his time before deciding his international future. The highly-rated 21-year-old qualifies to represent the African nation via his mother, though he does also have other options in play.

Sagoe Jr was born and raised in London so he can also play for England and additionally, he is also eligible to play for Ghana should he wish.

Liberia have been gearing up for their latest World Cup qualification matches against Namibia and Equatorial Guinea.

Tranmere Rovers midfielder Nohan Kenneh is the only current Liberia international that currently plays his club football in England.

The Arsenal youth forward would be handed the chance to become an immediate star for the national team but he has already informed the Liberia Football Association that he is in no immediate rush to make a decision.

Sagoe Jr, whose only senior Gunners appearance came in a 1-0 Carabao Cup win at Brentford in 2023, has started the campaign in impressive form at U21 level.

The talented dribbler kickstart the season with three goals in his first three outings, netting against Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Newport County in the EFL Trophy.

The winner against Newport came at the death and already looks set to be a big moment for Arsenal's U21s. He has also registered assists against Forest, Brighton and Derby and Max Porter's side have lost only one of their seven matches in all competitions.

Charles Sagoe Jr in Arsenal training (Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Sagoe Jr has already spent time on loan at Swansea City and Shrewsbury Town but is now targeting his big first-team breakthrough.

The youngster penned a new contract with Arsenal in August 2024 that is said to run until the summer of 2027. Back in January, he was recalled by the Gunners just six months into his loan spells at Shrewsbury.

He was recalled in the aftermath of Bukayo Saka's hamstring injury at Crystal Palace, though the decision was made because he had not featured enough for the League One outfit.

While Sagoe Jr made 18 appearances for Shrewsbury in all competitions, his minutes had tried up heading into the start of 2025 and Arsenal believed it would be better to reintegrate him into the U21 side.