Chelsea could be lining up a move for Olympique Lyonnais starlet Willem Geubbels next summer. According to recent reports, the Ligue 1 giants are asking for a massive fee of £62.5m for their teenage winger following his emergence as one of the most sought-after prospects in European football. The 16-year-old has rejected a long-term deal with Lyon as he runs down his youth terms with the French club which is set to expire at the end of the campaign.
The Blues will face competition from a whole host of European clubs which includes the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich who are all monitoring his situation at the French club. However, recent reports have suggested that AS Monaco are leading the race after cashing in on Kylian Mbappe, whose loan deal to Paris Saint-Germain will become permanent next summer.
Lyon were keen to secure the youngster’s long-term future at the club following his rapid development through their academy. However, their “big offer in terms of signing bonus and salary” was declined by Geubbels and his father.
In a recent interview, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was quoted to have said,
“If Willem thinks he can have a better career in Monaco than Lyon… Monaco bought Pietro Pellegri for €25m. We will not make gifts.
“In any case, we try to have people with ethics. My biggest regret is never to have seen Willem alone, I’ll talk to him about it directly.
“It is the end of his contract in 2019. If Monaco makes an offer of €70m we will be disappointed because we believe [in Geubbels] a lot.
“We are reassured by his valuation.”
The West London club are currently in fifth place in the Premier League table with a tally of 53 points in 28 Premier League matches but are a staggering 22 points behind league leaders Manchester City. They are in dire need of reinforcements in the summer but the club might also look to build for the future. The addition of Geubbels will definitely bolster their attacking options in a few years time but for now, it seems like they could use the cash to strengthen other areas of their squad.
The France Under-18 international has etched his name in the history books after becoming the first player born in the 21st century to make an appearance in a Ligue 1 match when he made his debut for Lyon at the start of the season. He is also the youngest ever player to feature in a Europa League match after coming off the bench in Lyon’s clash with Atalanta.
Geubbels is highly versatile and can play on either flank or as a striker up top which makes him an ideal asset for any of his potential suitors. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of the French wonderkid and whether he ends up making a switch to the Premier League in the near future.
