Arsenal have been told that there is a "high probability" that Sturm Graz wonderkid Luca Weinhandl will move to a top-five league next year.

The 17-year-old burst onto the scene last season with a few cameo appearances for his boyhood club, and he has gone from strength to strength since his senior debut in January. Now a guaranteed starter, Weinhandl has already doubled his minutes from 2025/26.

The midfielder has started all but four of Sturm Graz's 19 fixtures this season, contributing a pair of goals and three assists. A physical presence despite his youth, Weinhandl stands at 6 ft 3 in and looks primed for a career in the Premier League.

The teenager is part of the golden generation of Austrian talents currently breaking through. He finished as runner-up with his team at the U17 World Cup last November and became his country's youngest-ever player in Europa League history this season.

Sky Austria reporter Eric Niederseer has described Weinhandl's past 12 months as a "dream year," with the Sturm Graz starlet becoming the "hottest commodity" in the Austrian Bundesliga and "arguably Austria's biggest talent."

Weinhandl set for move - but only in the summer

Naturally, Weinhandl's emergence hasn't gone unnoticed. He has been linked with numerous clubs in recent weeks, with Arsenal perhaps the most high-profile team to be associated with him.

It has been claimed that the Gunners have been wowed by his rapid development and could look to poach him from Sturm Graz in 2027. Weinhandl turns 18 in January, so he could already move to England mid-season.

Niederseer has confirmed that there is widespread interest from England, Germany and Spain, but he didn't explicitly state that Arsenal want to sign the teenager. What's more, he has ruled out leaving Austria in January.

"Our information is that, as things stand, Weinhandl himself wants to keep developing at Sturm Graz in his first year as a senior starter, and a transfer in the winter is not an option," Niederseer explained.

However, in the summer, "it will be a different story." There is a "high probability" that Weinhandl will move to a top-five league in Europe. While that doesn't automatically guarantee that he will end up at Arsenal, it does confirm that there is a deal to be done for the English champions.

Is Weinhandl ready for Arsenal? Not quite, according to data analytics firm SciSports. While the youngster has enjoyed "significant development" over the past six months, he remains some way short of Premier League level.

That is understandable, given that he has only been playing senior football since January. If he keeps performing and a bigger sample size becomes available, we will get a clearer picture of whether the 17-year-old can eventually make the step up.

What should be encouraging, though, is that Weinhandl is already believed to be a Max Dowman-level talent.