Arsenal waiting for Morocco's wunderkind

That's the World Cup for you. One outstanding performance is enough to create enormous hype and have the entire football world talking about a player. To be fair, it wasn't just a good performance—Ayyoub Bouaddi was virtually sensational against Brazil, completely shutting down the South American side's attacking players. And this is no ordinary player. Bouaddi had already attracted attention with his decision to turn his back on France—the country where he was born and whose youth national teams he represented—and instead play for the country of his family's origin, Morocco.

Just how valuable that decision could be for Morocco became clear on Saturday night in New Jersey, especially considering the maturity the Lille midfielder displays in the center of the pitch, something that seems completely out of sync with his age—he has not even turned 19 yet. It was only a matter of time before one of Europe's giants was linked with his future, and the English media have pointed to Arsenal FC. Admittedly, this is not a brand-new story. No club, including Arsenal, could have made significant progress on a transfer just hours after the match. However, The Times reports that the central midfielder has been on the radar of the English champions and European runners-up for quite some time, and that Arsenal intend to capitalize on that interest immediately after the World Cup. Their traditionally good relationship with Lille president Olivier Letang could also prove helpful.

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According to the report, talks have already been scheduled with the player, as well as with his representatives. Mikel Arteta is expected to play a significant role in those discussions, personally explaining Bouaddi's place within Arsenal's long-term project. Another factor working in Arsenal's favor is the strong interest shown by Paris Saint-Germain. Lille would reportedly prefer to sell the player abroad rather than strengthen a domestic rival, if any French club can truly be considered a rival to the back-to-back European champions. As for the price, speculation before the Brazil match suggested that Lille would demand around 70 million euros. However, that valuation applied before Bouaddi's breakout World Cup display. From now on, his performances on football's biggest stage are likely to determine just how high that figure climbs.