Lille’s Ligue 1 star Boubakary Soumare continues to be linked with a £43m move to Premier League powerhouses Spurs or Arsenal.
Boubakary Soumare has no interest in joining Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal this month as the coveted £43 million-rated midfielder wants to leave Lille by the front door, according to La Voix du Nord.
Ever since making his name in PSG’s esteemed academy, the France U21 international has been tipped to reach the very top of the world game sooner rather than later.
Lille president Gerard Lopez confirmed in December that Jose Mourinho wants to work with Soumare at Spurs while north London rivals Arsenal are also interested in a man who ‘outclassed’ Matteo Guendouzi as a rising star in Paris (Bleacher Report).
Soumare has been likened to Paul Pogba due to his ability to control a game from the centre of the park but, unlike Manchester United’s wantaway number six, it seems that the 20-year-old has plenty of respect for the club that pays his wages.
As reported by La Voix du Nord, Soumare is refusing to consider the idea of turning his back on Lille midway through the season and dreams of lifting a trophy in the deep red of Les Dogues. A man who moved to Flanders in 2017 will wait until the summer before securing what is likely to be a big-money switch across the channel.
He has a ‘special relationship’ with coach Christophe Galtier, the report adds.
Soumare’s stance is likely to be a big blow for Mourinho, who has made no secret of his desire to bring new players to a Tottenham team short of the talents of Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy N’Dombele due to injury. Eric Dier has also looked a yard or two off the pace since Mourinho took over while Harry Winks is yet to impress an uber-demanding tactician.
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