Arsenal have been in talks to sign £85m star for ‘several weeks’

It’s rarely a good idea to sign a player based on their performances at the World Cup, but Arsenal couldn’t help but take notice of Ayyoub Bouadi’s performance for Morocco last weekend.

The 18-year-old, who plays for Lille in France, dominated a pitch filled with some of the best players of his generation.

Bouadi ran a ring around Casemiro, Fabinho, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paqueta. He probably should have won the Official Player of the Match award over Vini Junior as well.

Unfortunately, the Moroccan will have to wait for personal praise. But big moves may not be far off. The Gunners are one of a number of teams interested in the teenager, but he is not the only midfielder they are eyeing.

Arsenal in talks to sign big-money replacement for Bouadi

It was well known that Arsenal were interested in the young midfielder even before the World Cup started.

Some reports a few weeks ago even suggested that a bid had been made to sign Lille’s wonderkid, and although this has not been confirmed, negotiations to bring the player to the Premier League have reportedly been ongoing since January.

Arsenal aren’t the only club interested. Liverpool are also in regular talks for the Moroccan, while Chelsea are also making their own pitch to bring him to England.

The race to sign Bouadi is expected to be fierce, and the same can be said for Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

Big news broke on Monday night that Spurs are attempting to sign the Italian, making him a likely target to strengthen their midfield this summer.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are also on board and are already doing the groundwork for the move.

Speaking on his YouTube channel earlier in the week, he said: “Tottenham want to do something very important in terms of signing a top midfield player. The name Tottenham want is Sandro Tonali. “Roberto De Zerbi wants him. They are from Brescia in Italy and have very good connections. They are very determined to sign him. He is keen to move and is open to joining Tottenham.” Even without European football. ”

Romano continued: “Arsenal have been calling for weeks, Manchester City have been in contact for weeks, but now Tottenham are fully committed.”

Valued at £85 million, this won’t be a cheap deal to complete.

Why Tonali is better than Bouadi

Questions may arise about Arsenal’s midfielder needs this summer. A year ago, they signed Martin Zvimendi for a big fee and saw Miles Lewis-Skelly break through towards the end of the 2025/26 season.

But the truth is that both Declan Rice and Zvimendi simply played too much football during their title-winning campaigns.

Both players played more games than any other outfield player on the team, which hurt them late in the season.

Zvimendi lost his place to Lewis-Skelly after a series of tired performances while Rice received injections to control back pain. As a result, they need more depth in that area of ​​the pitch, whether it’s Bouadi, Tonali or other midfielders.

In Boadi, they will be signing one of the most exciting young players on the planet right now. His performance against Brazil a few days ago was all the proof he needed.

But in Tonali’s case, they will be signing a complete product, a player who already knows his game inside and out, a player of crucial importance to Mikel Arteta and a proven player in the Premier League.

If the Spaniard had a preference, it would always be to sign an option that already does that in England. A big part of his recruitment strategy in recent years has been to sign Premier League players.

Well, Tonali ticks that box and also ticks the box of helping Arsenal win. A deal with Bouadi wouldn’t be a bad deal. In fact, he would be one of the most exciting signings they could make all summer.

But Newcastle’s Italian general has been described by his agent Beppe Rizzo as “one of the best midfielders in the world”, and for good reason.

As far as data goes, there’s not much that can separate them. At 6-foot-1, Bouadi has a big frame and long legs that allow him to overcome huge defensive tasks.

He makes more tackles and wins more duels per 90 minutes. That being said, Tonali is a more progressive player and that’s what they need as they look to find a more capable partner for Rice than Zvimendi.

One of the biggest criticisms of the Spaniard last season was his inability to progress his game. He recorded only 3.03 progressive actions per 90 minutes, far behind Tonali and only slightly behind Bouadi.

Neither player is a bad player, but the Italian is perhaps a better fit for what Arteta and his team are looking for at the moment.