LONDON – Arsenal have opened talks with Lille over the signing of midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the Premier League club moving ahead of Chelsea and Paris St-Germain, according to reports in France.
Its thought the deal could cost the Gunners around £39m (€45 million).
The 18-year-old, who made his Lille debut at 16, has already made 72 senior appearances and is regarded as one of the most promising young players in Ligue 1.
France Under-21 coach Gérald Baticle has praised Bouaddi’s maturity and technical ability, calling him “one of the future jewels of French football”.
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