Arsenal are battling with Tottenham Hotspur to sign highly rated Algerian attacker Ibrahim Maza from Bayer Leverkusen, according to TEAMtalk.
Maza has emerged as one of the most exciting attacking prospects over the last three seasons, not just in the Bundesliga but in Europe.
The youngster began his professional career at Hertha Berlin’s academy, where he came through the ranks before making his first team debut in 2023 against Bayern Munich.
At the time of his debut, he became the second-youngest player to feature for Hertha in the Bundesliga at 17 years, 05 months, 06 days, while his first goal for the club came against Wolfsburg in that same year, making him the sixth-youngest ever goalscorer in Bundesliga history at 20 years, 09 months, 12 days.
After making 51 appearances for Die Alte Dame, Maza signed for Leverkusen in the summer of 2025 and has lived up to expectations since his arrival, drawing keen interest from several clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham.
This is according to TEAMtalk, which claims that the London duo have been closely monitoring the 20-year-old’s progress and are now stepping up their interest to sign him.
Both clubs have been watching Maza in the ongoing campaign as they continue to assess his progress and potential availability for a transfer, the report adds.
The Berlin-born Algerian international has begun the season in fine form, providing five goal contributions in six games for both club and country.
Battle
His displays at both club and international stage for Algeria have drawn widespread plaudits, and it’s no surprise TEAMtalk adds that Chelsea, Manchester City and Aston Villa are set to battle with Arsenal and Tottenham in the race to sign the attacking ace.
Last season, after a man-of-the-match display against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, Leverkusen former manager Kasper Hjulmand described Maza’s displays as ‘fantastic’. Six games into the ongoing season under new boss Carles Martinez, it is safe to say that the Algerian is doing enough to live up to that description
Looking at his statistics this season, it is easy to see why Arsenal and Tottenham are assessing the youngster, who was also branded as ‘superb’ by Hjulmand.
Maza makes 2.25 dribbles per 90 minutes and creates an impressive 3.25 chances per game in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen. He is also committed to the defensive facet of the game, as evidenced in his 4.75 duels won and 3.75 recoveries per game this season.
Maza’s contract at the BayArena runs until 2030. As a result, Arsenal or Tottenham will need to submit a concrete offer, as Leverkusen will likely demand a fee well above his £38m Transfermarkt valuation
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