Chelsea handed transfer boost in pursuit of 20-year-old rising Ligue 1 star

Chelsea handed a boost in pursuit of Lille starlet Boubakary Soumare

Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their attempts to sign Boubakary Soumare, according to Express.

Lille manager Christophe Galatier admitted that there were tensions between the player and the club. Soumare was left out of the Lille squad against Marseille last week. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season and has made 29 appearances for the first-team. (h/t Whoscored)

The defensive midfielder’s dominant performances have seen him gather plenty of admirers. Apart from Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and AC Milan are all interested in securing the player’s signature.

Soumare looked likely to leave in the January transfer window, with Galatier even going as far to admit that he did not know if the Frenchman would play for the team again.

The manager swapped the player for Jean Emile Onana against Marseille. He did so because of the prevailing ‘situation’ between the player and the club. Speaking to L’Equipe (h/t Express), Galatier admits there is a situation at the club and is confident that it will be resolved internally.

“There is a situation at the club that I do not comment on.”

The Blues can swoop in for the player if the tensions do not die down. Chelsea has previously had a number of dealings with the Ligue 1 club, having signed Eden Hazard and Solomon Kalou earlier.

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Soumare moved from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and has gone on to establish himself as one of Ligue 1’s finest young prospects. The 20-year-old has played 39 times for the French national youth teams from the Under-16 level to the Under-21 levels.