According to the Sun via Foot Mercato, Arsenal are amongst the sides that are interested in Rennes ace Noah Francoise.
Foot Mercato claim that the 16-year-old’s fine performances in the UEFA Youth League have sparked interest from Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
The ace, who can operate in a traditional central midfield role or on the more defensive side of things in the middle of the park, has scored one goal in five UEFA Youth League outings this season.
Foot Mercato add that Francoise is yet to sign a professional contract with Rennes, stating that big teams are hoping to take ‘advantage’ of this situation.
The report adds that the north London outfit will have to compete with Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain for the ace’s signature.
Francoise’s form has led to the starlet progressing into France’s Under-17 side this year after making 8 appearances for the Under-16s.
Francoise not being tied to a professional deal yet could lead to the ace leaving for a cut-price fee, he could be the perfect kind of talent that Arsenal could move for given their current situation.
The Sun add that 25 members of Arsenal’s 27-man first-team squad have agreed to a pay cut of 12.5% for the next year in order to ease the financial losses that the club have experienced due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Arsenal have a great history of developing French talent, current midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is a fine example.
The midfielder is now an important player of the team having joined from a Ligue 2 outfit two years ago.