Arsenal and Liverpool are reportedly monitoring the elegant midfielder, who is said to be one of Ligue 1’s most promising talents.
According to reports in England, Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool are prepared to go head-to-head to get their hands on Marseille’s highly-rated Maxime Lopes, believed to be the French’s club’s brightest prospect in recent years.
The Sun first broke the story, stating that Arsenal and Liverpool are keenly tracking the progress of the French prodigy with a view of making a bid in the upcoming January transfer window. The English newspaper added that scouts from both clubs were in attendance to witness Maxime Lopez in action agaisnt Bordeaux in the final weekend of October.
The match ended in a scoreless stalemate, but the 18-year-old playmaker impressed in his first start for the club, completing the most passes (84) of the game while also producing more key passes (4) than anyone else in the match (via Whoscored).
Such was the performance of the teenager against Bordeaux that it evoked praise from his Marseille team-mate and former Newcastle United player Florian Thauvin, who stated Lopez has a very bright future ahead of him.
Other media outlets including Goal and TalkSport have carried similar reports regarding the interest of Arsenal and Liverpool for the young Marseille player, with the latter claiming Crystal Palace are also in the fray.
Goal states Maxime Lopez had actually first caught the attention of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger almost two years back in 2014. The Gunner’s boss made an approach for the player, but Lopez turned the offer down to sign a professional deal with his boyhood club.
Maxime Lopez is a versatile playmaker with quick feet and a wide range of passing. The player is also known for his spatial awareness and off-the-ball movement. The technical skills of Maxime make him a fine fit for the teams of both Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger.
Considering Maxime Lopez’s contract with Marseille ends in June 2017, there could well be a huge tug-of-war between the Premier League clubs to reach a pre-contract agreement with the playmaker in the January transfer window.
