Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing LOSC Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, as per Caught Offside.
The Blues decided to revamp the left flank by purchasing Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens from Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, last summer.
However, the Argentinian struggled to find his feet at Stamford Bridge last term. As a result, Chelsea have allowed Garnacho to join Aston Villa this summer.
Xabi Alonso’s side have already replaced the former Man Utd forward by purchasing Morgan Rogers from the Villans for a huge fee. Still, the Blues are seemingly planning to add more firepower to the frontline, although they won’t be playing European football next season.
Caught Offside claim that Chelsea have expressed their interest in Fernandez-Pardo after monitoring his development. However, Arsenal are also keeping a close eye on him, while Liverpool have identified the Belgian as one of the potential alternative options if they fail to secure Bradley Barcola’s services.
Apart from the 21-year-old, the Merseyside club are also interested in AFC Bournemouth star Rayan and Brighton and Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh.
With Fernandez-Pardo’s existing deal set to run until 2029, Lille are in a strong position to demand a sizable amount of money if they are forced to sell him, with the player valued at around £30m by Transfermarkt.
Battle
Despite winning the Premier League title last term, Arsenal are considering reinforcing the frontline in this window. They have already purchased Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge after letting Leandro Trossard join Turkish giants Besiktas.
Still, Mikel Arteta reportedly wants a new top-level attacker and the Gunners have identified Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior as a priority target.
Fernandez-Pardo is a 6ft 2in tall striker but can provide cover on either flank if needed. He is a talented player and possesses the potential to reach the top.
However, there is a question mark over whether he is ready enough to take the next step in his career this summer.
Nevertheless, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club or the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure the Lille star’s services during this offseason.
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