Premier League clubs will discover their fixtures for the 2026/27 season when they are announced on Friday.
Champions Arsenal ended a run of three consecutive second-placed finishes to finally win the title last term, for the first time in more than two decades.
Mikel Arteta will hope to see his side defend their crown, and the north London outfit will discover their opponent for the first round of matches on Friday.
Ahead of that announcement, it has emerged that Arsenal are pushing hard to sign a midfielder who impressed on his World Cup debut last week.
According to CaughtOffside, the Gunners have been working on a deal to sign midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from French side Lille.
The report claims that the Premier League champions – spearheaded by Andrea Berta – have been working to agree personal terms with the player before negotiating with his current club.
Bouaddi made his World Cup debut during Morocco’s 1-1 draw against Brazil last week (Photo: Independent Photo Agency/Alamy)
Berta, Arsenal’s sporting director, is said to be trying to agree personal terms with a number of targets before deciding which players to pursue moves for.
Bouaddi, 18, is a product of Lille’s youth system and, despite his age, has already played more than 95 times for the French side across all competitions.
The Morocco international made his World Cup debut during their 1-1 draw against Brazil in their group stage opener last week, and impressed for Mohamed Ouahbi’s side.
According to the report, the central midfielder has attracted interest from several clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
The midfielder’s contract with Lille is set to run until the end of the 2028/29 season, but it appears increasingly likely that he will leave the club during the current transfer window.