Arsenal Ready to Hijack Man City's Pursuit of Morocco Wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi

Premier League champions Arsenal have entered the race to sign Moroccan wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad with one of Europe's brightest young talents, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

The Gunners are pushing hard to land the gifted Lille midfielder after the 18-year-old caught the eye with a string of impressive displays for Morocco at the World Cup in America.

Bouaddi has emerged as one of the tournament's breakout stars, with his composure, energy and technical quality attracting admiring glances from scouts across Europe. 

The teenage sensation is understood to be keen on testing himself in the Premier League, putting a host of England's biggest clubs on alert.

Manchester City and Liverpool have both expressed an interest in signing the exciting youngster, but SportsBoom understands Arsenal have now made their move as they look to steal a march on their Premier League rivals before the start of the new campaign.

BRIGHT FUTURE

The North London club believe Bouaddi fits the profile of player they want to build around for the future, with Arteta eager to add another elite young talent to his title-winning squad.

Lille are well aware of the growing interest in their prized asset. 

The Ligue 1 outfit tied Bouaddi down to a new contract until June 2029 after he signed an extension in December, fully expecting Europe's biggest clubs to come calling.

Arsenal are expected to face fierce competition, however, with several leading European clubs also monitoring his situation and weighing up bids for the midfielder's signature.

With Christian Nørgaard expected to leave Arsenal this summer, with Crystal Palace and Bournemouth among the clubs monitoring his situation, Bouaddi could be handed a pathway into Arteta’s first-team plans, initially filling the limited Premier League minutes available as he adapts to the pace and demands of English football.

EXPERIENCE

He made 30 appearances last season and has already featured 96 times for Lille across three campaigns despite still being only 18. 

Those performances have convinced many inside the game that he is destined for the very top.

On the international stage, he has already earned eight senior caps for Morocco, while also representing France at various youth levels, including the Under 21s, underlining the remarkable regard in which he is held.

Now the talented playmaker is believed to feel the time is right to take the next step in his career, with the Premier League his preferred destination.