Arsenal have placed 21yo Belgian star on shortlist, available for £60m
Arsenal have placed Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo on their attacking shortlist, according to Foot Mercato.
The Gunners have made a solitary forward signing in Christos Tzolis this summer.
The Greek has had a brilliant start to his Arsenal career. He has stood out with his performances against Manchester City and Coventry City in the Community Shield and Premier League, respectively.
The club are still keen on landing another attacking player before the transfer deadline, and Foot Mercato claim that Fernandez-Pardo is on their shortlist. The Gunners are monitoring his situation ‘very closely’.
Arsenal are also aware that the 21-year-old won’t come on the cheap, with Lille holding out for £60 million.
The Ligue 1 outfit have already turned down offers worth £34 million and £29 million from Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig respectively.
Lille have no plans to entertain his sale for less than £60m before the transfer window closes.
Arsenal may not pursue a deal for Fernandez-Pardo
The Belgium international had a decent 2025/26 season with Lille. He registered eight goals and provided seven assists from 41 appearances in all competitions.
Fernandez-Pardo started the campaign as a regular left winger, but he moved into a centre-forward role soon after. He ended the season on a positive note.
The 21-year-old made seven goal contributions in his final 10 league games as a striker, and this earned him a surprise World Cup berth with his country.
Fernandez-Pardo’s ability to play on the left wing or up front may have caught the Gunners’ eye, but we doubt they will make a huge outlay for his services.
Based on his current ability, a £30-35m deal would represent good business, but anything more than that means Arsenal are overpaying for his untapped potential.
Arsenal have also been linked with Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez in recent weeks, but nothing has materialised thus far.
It will be interesting to see who they pursue before the deadline. If a marquee striker arrives, there is a possibility that Viktor Gyokeres could head for an exit.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
The post Arsenal have placed 21yo Belgian star on shortlist, available for £60m first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.
