Arsenal schedule £60m talks for Lille's Bouaddi as Arteta pushes to beat PSG

Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the club preparing to hold further transfer discussions over a deal valued at around €70 million (£60m) for the 18-year-old.

Paris Saint-Germain are the Gunners’ primary competition for Bouaddi’s signature, and the teenager is reported to favour a move to the Parc des Princes. Despite that, Arsenal remain confident they can win the race, with the club said to have been quietly exploring a deal for several months.

A strong relationship between Arsenal and Lille president Olivier Letang is believed to give the north London club a meaningful edge in negotiations. Further talks are expected to take place following the conclusion of the World Cup.

Manager Mikel Arteta is understood to be personally involved in the pursuit as Arsenal look to strengthen their squad ahead of a Premier League title defence next season.

Bouaddi is not the only midfielder on Arsenal’s radar this summer. Sandro Tonali of Newcastle is also reported to be a target, though no concrete progress on that front has been detailed.

In attack, Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi and Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers have both been linked with moves to the Emirates. A separate report indicates that Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis — who scored 43 goals across all competitions during his time in Belgium and added 23 in a single season at Fortuna Düsseldorf — has also emerged as a player of interest, with any pursuit of the Greece international said to be independent of Arsenal’s reported ambitions to sign Rogers.