Arsenal to make decision on Mexican wonderkid

Arsenal's Mexican wonderkid Carlos Vela faces an uncertain future at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger will decide at the end of the Spanish season whether he will join Arsenal this summer.

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The 18-year-old, who was signed for £2.5million in November 2005 but was not eligible to play in England due to work permit restrictions, is currently on loan at Spanish Second Division side Salamanca.

By next January, the teenager will have spent the two years in Spain necessary to qualify for an EU passport but Arsenal have successfully applied to the Home Office to bring forward Vela's arrival date.

Wenger must now decide whether Vela should spend another year on loan in Spain or move to Emirates permanently in July.

The indications are that the Arsenal manager wants the striker, who has scored eight goals in 26 games for Salamanca this season, to provide competition up front.

Wenger, who has been in Spain this week to speak to representatives of Julio Baptista, Jose Reyes, Cesc Fabregas and Arsenal youngster Fran Merida, has compared Vela to Mexican legend Hugo Sanchez.

"He's top class," said the Arsenal boss. "I like his intelligence and his pace. He scores goals but he can also create them.

"He's a special talent and I believe 100 per cent that he will make it at the highest level."

According to reports in Spain, Wenger has held talks with Atletico Madrid about off-loading Reyes.

Real are not interested in signing Reyes on a permanent deal and the forward's options are diminishing because his former club Seville have also said they are not interested in him.

Another Arsenal forward, Theo Walcott, has declared that he will be fully fit for the start of the new season following a successful shoulder operation.

"I will be fit as long as I have a good pre-season," said Walcott.