Arsenal target Bundesliga’s fastest ever player as sources reveal star’s thoughts on big-money transfer

Arsenal have entered the chase for Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Jean-Matteo Bahoya, with sources confirming Mikel Arteta is a long-term admirer of the explosive winger’s profile and with scouts having watched the player SIX times in recent months.

The Frenchman, who only joined Frankfurt from Angers for a bargain €12 million (£10.2m, €13.7m) last summer, has wasted no time announcing himself in the Bundesliga. In 18 appearances this season, he has scored three goals and provided two assists, including a stunning solo strike against Bayern Munich that went viral across Europe.

His blend of electric pace, two-footed finishing and fearless dribbling (4.8 successful take-ons per 90) has drawn inevitable comparisons to a young Ousmane Dembele.

Arteta sees Bahoya, recently clocked as the fastest ever Bundesliga player since records began, as the perfect long-term successor to Bukayo Saka on the right flank and a dynamic option capable of rotating across the front three.

Arsenal scouts have watched him live on SIX occasions since September, and the club’s analytics department ranks him in the 99th percentile among European wingers under 21 for expected goals and progressive carries.

However, prising him away mid-season will be far from straightforward. Eintracht Frankfurt are riding high in third place and remain determined to keep their breakout star until at least the summer 2026 – and even then it would take a mammoth fee to convince them to sell…

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Arsenal target Bayoha comes with a huge fee

Sporting director Markus Krösche has publicly stated the club have “no intention” of selling in January and would demand in excess of €60 million (£52.7m, $70m) to even open negotiations.

That valuation has not deterred suitors, however, and we understand Tottenham, PSG and Atletico Madrid have all made formal enquiries in recent weeks.

Spurs, in particular, view him as the ideal candidate to come in and add dynamism to a struggling frontline; PSG see him as a potential long-term star and someone with a similarly high ceiling to the likes of Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

Crucially for Premier League clubs, sources close to Bahoya say the player himself is open to a January move and dreams of testing himself at the “highest level possible”.

With the window now just weeks away, a bidding war is brewing for one of Europe’s most exciting teenagers. If Arteta wants his man, Arsenal may have to pay the excessive fee to beat the competition.

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Meanwhile, we can also reveal that Arsenal are ‘laying the groundwork’ for what has been described as the ‘ultimate statement signing’ and in a move that would make the world sit up and gasp.

Elsewhere, Arsenal have been tipped to move for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as a potential short-term cover for Martin Odegaard, according to a reliable ESPN journalist, as TEAMtalk reveals the Red Devils’ current stance on the midfielder.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has revealed whether Myles Lewis-Skelly plans to leave Arsenal for Chelsea in the January transfer window.

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