Arsenal join race for teenage wonderkid as the Gunners compete with top European clubs for £5m rated star

Arsenal are among the clubs following Malian youth international Baye Coulibaly.

The 18-year-old rose to prominence last year playing for the inexperienced Mali U17s at the World Cup, where they produced a number of surprise performances including a 3-0 defeat of Argentina, culminating in a third-place finish.

Coulibaly filled the role of emergency center for his country at the time, but has developed into a defensive midfielder where he played for the Mali Under-20s in the Africa Cup of Nations last month and was man of the match in the 0-0 draw against Gambia.

The teenager has been snapped up by NK Kustosija in Croatia, who are building a reputation for spotting young talents and referring them to bigger clubs in Europe.

They sold 17-year-old striker Dino Klapija, a former Manchester United target, to Red Bull Leipzig last summer and previously sold Senegalese prospect Mikayil Faye to Barcelona, ​​who was then bought by Rennes for £12 million in August.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (left) is keen to continue recruiting youngsters with great potential

Faye was also on Arsenal’s radar, but budget constraints forced them to prioritize other areas in the summer.

However, that does not stop them from showing interest in Coulibaly, but they are not the only ones.

Champions League clubs Girona and Red Bull Salzburg have also made inquiries, while La Liga club Getafe have made an initial bid as they look to steal a march on rivals before January.

However, the Madrid side are believed to fall short of Kustosija’s valuation, with top prospect Coulibaly rated at around £5m.