Ayyoub Bouaddi: Arsenal handed boost for £70m transfer as historic AFCON decision is made | OneFootball

Good news for Arsenal as they look to win the race for talented midfielder

Arsenal will avoid the disruption of losing Ayyoub Bouaddi to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) next season, if they sign the Lille midfielder.

The Gunners are among a number of clubs being linked with the teenager, with interest skyrocketing after an outstanding World Cup debut for Morocco against Brazil.

Arsenal have held initial talks over a summer transfer as Mikel Arteta plots to bolster his midfield options ahead of the new season.

Lille are said to value Bouaddi at around £70million after tying the 18-year-old down to a new contract last December, extending his deal through to the summer of 2029.

If Arsenal were to sign Bouaddi before summer transfer window closes, Arteta would get an immediate boost in that Bouaddi would be available all next season.

Premier League rivals Liverpool could also be boosted as they explore a deal for Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, while Manchester United will not face a repeat of losing Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui.

Arsenal transfer target: Ayyoub Bouaddi

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A statement reads: “The competition will begin on Saturday, 19 June 2027, with the opening match. The final will be played on Saturday, 17 July 2027.

“These dates give the tournament a clear one-month window and allow CAF, the hosts, teams, broadcasters and supporters to plan well in advance. The exact match schedule, venues and kick-off times will be announced later by CAF.”

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has described the 2027 tournament as an historic one as AFCON will return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted the competition in 1976.

As things stand, only the three co-hosts, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, have guaranteed their spots at the tournament as qualification will begin in September.

Bouaddi represented France through the age ranks and even captained the U21 side but switched his allegiance to Morocco last month, making his debut against Burundi in a pre-World Cup friendly.

Morocco have been draw in Group A alongside Gabon, Niger and Lesotho, while Ivory Coast's group also consists of Ghana, Gambia and Somalia. The top two qualify automatically for AFCON 2027.