Arsenal and Chelsea to battle for Marseille starlet who is stalling contract extension talks

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Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs chasing Marseille midfielder Darryl Bakola. The 18-year-old impressed in his Champions League debut last month in Marseille’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Bakola assisted former Arsenal man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s equalizer and looked calm and composed all throughout the match. Aubameyang would go on to score a brace, but it was the young Bakola that drew plaudits for his mature performance in midfield.

Bakola’s current deal is set to expire in June 2027, and Footmercato has now reported that Marseille want to tie down their prized asset to fresh terms amid increased interest. Arsenal and Chelsea alongside Newcastle, Stuttgart, and Borussia Dortmund are all keen on the player and closely monitoring his situation.

A January move is reportedly not ruled out if the player does not extend his deal. Marseille consider the player their brightest prospect and have made a concrete offer to tie him down.

They do not want to lose him for free though, and will look to cash in if they cannot agree on terms.

Chelsea reportedly have a plan in place to sign the player and then loan him to sister club Strasbourg. The Blues have focused on young talent for the past few windows and look to be continuing that trend.

They snapped up the likes of Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato, and Jamie Gittens this summer, while also agreeing deals to bring Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo to the club in 2026 and beyond.

They are also believed to be interested in Genk wonderkid Konstantinos Karetsas and Leicester starlet Jeremy Monga.

Arsenal were one of the summer’s big spenders, having splashed over £250m. Mikel Arteta’s men signed Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie, and Kepa Arrizabalaga as they look to reclaim the Premier League title for the first time since 2004.

Injuries have ravaged the squad however, and more January investment has not been ruled out.

Nadji is a football writer with over 10 years of experience covering the Premier League. His work has been featured on Football Fancast, Arsenal-Mania, and Arsenal.com, where he has built a reputation for delivering sharp analysis, engaging storytelling, and in-depth coverage of the game.