Arsenal and Tottenham have been tipped to go head-to-head in the battle to sign Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu.
The 18-year-old has stepped into the Rennes first team this season to help fill the void left by Eduardo Camavinga's summer move to Real Madrid, largely operating off the bench in his 17 appearances this year.
Despite his limited minutes - 501 in total - L'Equipe state that Ugochukwu's performances have caught the eye of both Arsenal and Tottenham.
The claim is that Arsenal are at the front of the queue for his signature, with scouts identifying Ugochukwu as the 'next Patrick Vieira'.
Spurs, however, are also said to be big fans of the teenage midfielder and are expected to make their own enticing proposal to Ugochukwu. His name may be familiar to fans as the teenager played the final ten minutes of the first Europa Conference League game between the two sides earlier this season.
It's the north London rivals whose interest is said to be strongest, but this report also names Borussia Dortmund as a likely suitor.
Former Rennes director Landry Chauvin has previously compared Ugochukwu to French legend Marcel Desailly, expecting his career to take off as either a centre-back or a defensive midfielder, but his box-to-box capabilities have impressed since his transition to the first team.
Now under contract until 2024, Rennes are reluctant to part ways with Ugochukwu and hope to convince him to continue his development at Roazhon Park.
Source : 90min