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Arsenal rocked as Chelsea outline fresh January transfer plan
Cameron Smith
- 22 Dec 2025 09:59 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Chelsea have reportedly outlined a fresh transfer plan to beat Arsenal and Manchester United to the signing of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The Blues bolstered their options in the middle of the park with the addition of Dario Essugo and the recall of Andrey Santos from a successful loan spell at Strasbourg over the summer, however they remain eager to improve the squad available to Enzo Maresca.
Current ETV
Ayyoub Bouaddi
M, DM (C)
Lille
Ayyoub Bouaddi
M, DM (C)
Lille
ETV Range
€31.9M - €39M
A plethora of central midfielders have been linked with a 2026 move to Stamford Bridge, including Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo and Aleksandar Pavlovic, although the reigning Club World Cup champions now appear to have identified Bouaddi as their top target.
The France U21 international has been a regular starter at Lille for the past two seasons and he has been widely tipped to secure a Premier League switch next year amid significant interest from a number of elite English top flight clubs.
Reports suggest that Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta has already been in contact with Bouaddi’s representatives, while Chelsea and Man Utd have also expressed their desire to finalise an agreement for his signature.
In fact, CaughtOffside state that Chelsea are ready to submit a January bid worth between €45-50 million as they aim to win the race for the Lille starlet. It’s claimed that Maresca’s side want to sign Bouaddi on a permanent deal next month before sending him on loan to their sister club Strasbourg for the remainder of the season to continue his development.
Ayyoub Bouaddi transfer battle
Chelsea’s interest in Bouaddi comes following reports that confirmed they are likely to sign a new central midfielder next summer in order to ease the current workload on Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
However, CaughtOffside have revealed that Arsenal are laying out the groundwork for a summer deal, while Man Utd view him as a perfect replacement for Casemiro.
In addition, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are also keeping close tabs on the talented 18-year-old.
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