Chelsea join Arsenal in race for World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi

Chelsea join Arsenal in race for World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi

Chelsea have reportedly joined Arsenal and other top European sides in the race for Morocco's World Cup breakout star Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The 18-year-old decided to switch international allegiances from France, the country he represented at youth level, to Morocco, ahead of the World Cup.

Bouaddi made his debut in their 1-1 opener against Brazil and ran the show from central midfield, ending the game with a 91% pass accuracy rate, five defensive contributions, and three successful dribbles across the 90 minutes.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea have entered the race alongside Arsenal for the Lille midfielder.

It’s understood that any deal will cost around 360 million, with PSG and Liverpool also keeping tabs on Bouaddi.

Speaking to The Athletic after his debut, the youngster addressed the rumours surrounding his future, saying: "For the moment, I am only focused on the World Cup and I cannot answer to this right now.

"Of course, I’m really happy to know that some clubs are interested in me. But, for now, I’m only focused on the World Cup with Morocco and we will try to give everything to do our best."