Arsenal submit £52m ‘offer’ for Ayyoub Bouaddi and Lille respond with new asking price | OneFootball

Arsenal have reportedly had a €60m [£52m] bid for Ayyoub Bouaddi ‘rejected’ by Lille as the Gunners look to get a deal done for the Morocco international before the World Cup.

The Gunners have just won their first Premier League title in 22 years and came agonisingly close to also winning the Champions League, with Gabriel Magalhaes missing the crucial penalty in the shootout as they lost the final to Paris Saint-Germain.

But manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are already hard at work to improve the squad.

Reports claim they’re looking at Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez and Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers as marquee forward recruits this summer, while Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi is also among their targets.

As is Leicester City teen Jeremy Monga, whom they’re ‘in talks’ to sign, according to transfer expert Ben Jacobs.

Jacobs wrote on X: ‘Arsenal are in talks to sign Jeremy Monga. Several top clubs have made approaches for the 16-year-old Leicester City winger. Sources say Leicester have received as many as eight formal enquiries from top clubs in England and Europe. Monga could cost in excess of £10m. It is possible a transfer could go to a tribunal to determine a fee.’

But Arsenal will also be in the market for a new central midfielder after it was revealed that they would ‘listen to offers’ for Christian Norgaard, who only joined last summer but made just one Premier League start and three Champions league starts in his debut campaign.

And Africafoot now claim that Arsenal have submitted a ‘€60m offer’ for Bouaddi, who broke into the Lille first team last season an has established himself as one of the Ligue 1 star’s key players this term.

Valued at €50m [£43m] by Transfermarkt, the 18-year-old has been identified as a ‘top priority’ by Arsenal after they were ‘impressed by the meteoric evolution’ which saw Bouaddi called up by Morocco for the World Cup this summer.

Arsenal’s bid has already been ‘rejected’ by Lille, who believe the teenager is ‘worth more in the current market’ and have thus set his price at a minimum of €70m [£60m].

Bouaddi chooses Morocco over France

Bouaddi represented France at youth level but has opted to represent Morocco after talks with manager Mohamed Ouahbi.

Morocco will take on Brazil in their opening game of the tournament on Saturday 13 June and Bouaddi revealed his delight at being called up for the FIFA showpiece this summer.

“I was very happy. We have an objective to achieve,” Bouaddi said. “We know that Brazil is a very strong team, but we are focusing on our work and our preparation.

“It is my first World Cup, and I am very proud to represent Morocco at the highest level,” he said. “Our objective is to go as far as possible, reach the final, and win the trophy.”