Chelsea and Arsenal are in a battle over a deal to sign Olympique Marseille attacking midfielder Daryk Bakola, as per Santi Aouna.
Following a series of unused substitute appearances throughout 2024, as the youngster found opportunities limited under Roberto De Zerbi, Bakola eventually made his senior debut for Marseille during a 5–1 Ligue 1 victory against Le Havre AC on 5 January 2025.
He most recently became the third youngest player in Marseille history to play in the Champions League, behind Jean-Christophe Marquet (17 years 5 months) and André Ayew (17 years 10 months), after starting in the 2-1 win over Newcastle United at the Stade Vélodrome in November.
Now, according to Aouna, Marseille are looking to extend Bakola’s contract and are expecting a resolution, having presented a renewal offer for the 18-year-old.
However, should an agreement fail to be reached, the French club are open to his departure as early as the January transfer window, according to the report.
As a result, Aouna claims that Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal have now expressed interest in signing the France U20 international in 2026.
While the report does not state whether the Blues or Gunners will make a move in January or wait till the summer, there’s a belief that the youngster is expected to depart the French club, and the London clubs are now positioning themselves as possible destinations for the Frenchman.
However, the journalist adds that several clubs, including Newcastle, Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund, are set to battle with Chelsea and Arsenal for Bakola’s signature should an agreement over his extension reach a stalemate.
Battle
Chelsea already boast a wide range of attacking options within their squad, with additional forwards also set to arrive next season.
The club have secured deals for Emanuel Emegha and Dastan Satpaev to join in the coming year, while Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Marc Guiu, and academy prospect Shumaira Mheuka all remain part of the setup at Stamford Bridge.
In contrast, Arsenal have taken a more aggressive approach to strengthening their senior squad. After years of falling short, the Gunners are now pushing for major honours, which reduces the likelihood of opportunities for a player like Bakola.
Even with Chelsea’s depth in attack, Bakola, who is valued at £3.4m by Transfermarkt, could still represent a valuable signing, as a potential loan move to Strasbourg would allow him to develop before possibly returning to Stamford Bridge with more experience.
More interesting is that the Blues could secure a bargain deal for the French forward, as Marseille will unlikely demand a steep fee for the youngster, who is reluctant to extend his contract.
