Arsenal are plotting a move for Olympique Lyonnais wonderkid Willem Geubbels next summer. According to recent reports, the Ligue 1 giants have asked for a whopping 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 declined a long-term deal with Lyon as he runs down his youth terms with the club which is set to expire at the end of the campaign.
The Gunners face competition from a whole host of clubs which includes the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, 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 chase after cashing in on Kylian Mbappe as his loan deal to Paris Saint-Germain will become permanent next summer.
Lyon were eager to secure the youngster’s future at the club following his rapid development through their academy. However, their “big offer in terms of signing bonus and salary” was rejected 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 Gunners have slumped to sixth place in the Premier League table, eight points shy of fifth-placed Chelsea and 30 points behind league leaders Manchester City. They are in dire need of reinforcements in the summer but Wenger remains adamant about building 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 feature in a Ligue 1 match when he made his debut for Lyon at the beginning of the campaign. He is also the youngest ever player to feature in a Europa League game after coming off the bench versus Atalanta.
Geubbels is highly versatile and can play on either flank or as a forward 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 starlet and whether he ends up making a move to the Premier League in the near future.
