Before Unai Emery left PSG at the end of the last season, one of his last acts at the club was to give 17 year old midfielder Yacine Adli his first team debut. He came on in the 83rd minute, and his brief appearance at the pinnacle of the game was broadly expected to signal the start of a glittering career.
Having moved to North London, Emery is keen for his teenage protégé to follow, and having turned down a professional contract offer at PSG, the rumours are that the deal is all but done.
Final manoeuvring before World Cup fever starts
The news of Adil’s potential move comes in what many see as the dying moments of the “first half” of the summer transfer window. A week from now, all thoughts will turn to Russia and the best FIFA World Cup betting offers. Outside the club boardrooms, all transfer talk will be deferred till July.
So will the Gunners seal the deal with the man described as one of the most talented footballers in France? And just who is Yacine Adli anyway? Let’s find out.
About Yacine Adli
Born in Vitry-sur-Seine to parents of Algerian descent, Yacine Adil is a footballer for the new millennium in every sense of the word, having been born in July 2000. He played his youth football for US Villejuif, close to his place of birth, and it was not long before he attracted the attention of the national selectors.
Adil has represented France at U16, U17 and U18 levels, making a total of 33 appearances and scoring 13 goals along the way. He featured in the 2017 UEFA European Under 17s Championship and in last year’s FIFA Under 17s World Cup in India, where he scored a goal in extra time in the final group match against Honduras.
Last year, PSG signed Adil on a youth contract, where he made nine appearances for PSG B and scored three goals. Fans felt that his eleventh-hour appearance for the first team in the final league match against Caen, when he was brought on to replace Christopher Nkunku was well deserved, and the disappointment that he will not be continuing his career in his home country is palpable.
More to come
Adil’s arrival at Emirates Stadium seems all but certain, but his is not the only name under discussion by Emery and Sven Mislintat. The Daily Express reports that Emery is also eyeing up a move on 22 year old Lukas Klostermann, who has been key to RB Leipzig’s defence over the past season. Speculation that another defender, Daniele Ruger, could also be North London bound also refuse to die down, despite assurances from his agent that he is set to remain at Juventus.
One thing is for sure – there are certain to be far more comings and goings before the transfer window closes and the new season gets underway in August. In the meantime, events in Russia will at least give us all an opportunity to catch our breath!
