Chelsea lead race to sign Ligue 2 star Arthur Avom but face competition from Premier League rivals

The Sun reports that Chelsea are leading the race for the 20-year-old but Aston Villa and West Ham have also sent scouts to watch him this season.

The report adds that the Ligue 2 side are keen to extend his contract, which, according to Transfermarkt, expires in 2026 - although there is reportedly an option to extend a further year. However, Avom is 'in no rush' to sign a new deal and will 'listen to all offers' this summer. Whether he heads to Enzo Maresca's Blues remains to be seen.

Lorient have a strategic partnership with Bournemouth and are said to believe that the Cameroonian - who has two goals and five assists in 30 games in the league this season - could make a move similar to the one that took Dango Ouattara from the French side to the Cherries in 2023.

Aside from transfer speculation, his prospective suitors, Chelsea, are away at Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday.