Arsenal chase Bakkali and plan raids for Marshall and Williams

Race to sign the Belgian teenager is underway as Wenger also eyes Cardiff and Swansea stars

Zakaria Bakkali
(Image credit: 2013 Getty Images)

Ukip might not like it, but both Arsenal and Liverpool believe their future lies in Europe and are heading to the continent in a bid to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season. According to the Daily Express both clubs are after PSV Eindhoven's Belgian wonderkid Zakaria Bakkali.

The 18-year-old forward is being chased by the Premier League powerhouses even though the paper reports that he has a reputation for tetchiness. Bakkali is allegedly "refusing to sign a contract extension" with Eindhoven and consequently they have grown "increasingly frustrated" with the youngster's antics. He was substituted after just 16 minutes in a friendly this month after neglecting his defensive duties and with a year to run on his existing contract Bakkali could be sold off in the summer to prevent him leaving on a free transfer in 12 months' time. The Express claims Arsenal are front-runners to sign the young winger with Arsene Wenger believing he has the savoir-faire to tame the teenager.

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Bill Mann is a football correspondent for The Week.co.uk, scouring the world's football press daily for the popular Transfer Talk column.