Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza has put Arsenal in the same breath as Real Madrid and Barcelona, just as Paris Saint-Germain step up their interest in him.
The 20-year-old Algeria international was asked about the PSG reports and spoke openly about the kind of club he wants to play for one day. Arsenal made his shortlist of Europe’s elite.
His comments come only days after we reported that Arsenal and Spurs were tracking the £60m Leverkusen talent as PSG looked for cover for the injured Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
What did Ibrahim Maza say about Arsenal?
Speaking to Sky Germany, Maza was clear that a move to a club of PSG’s size would be a dream, and he placed Arsenal at that level.
He said: “It would, of course, be a huge dream to play for such a big club. I think we all know what a massive club Paris is, it’s one of the best in the world, right alongside the likes of Real, Barça, and Arsenal. Playing for a club like that, that’s something not just I, but many footballers, are working toward.”
That is hardly a transfer request, and he was answering a question about Paris rather than north London. But players rarely list clubs by accident, and the Gunners being mentioned next to Real Madrid and Barcelona says a lot about how Arsenal are seen across Europe right now.
Messi’s vote and the Wirtz comparisons
Maza finished ninth in the Kopa Trophy voting at the Ballon d’Or gala, and the one point he received came from Lionel Messi, who ranked him third behind Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí.
“Being chosen by Messi is a great honor for me. It’s something truly special. It provides a huge extra boost of motivation,” Maza said.
Some in Germany already see a lot of Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz in his game. Maza has no problem with that.
“I see that as a positive, absolutely,” he said. “It’s great that, as most people say, I have some of the same qualities as Flo Wirtz. And yes, it’s a wonderful thing to be compared to a world-class player like Flo, to have people say, ‘He’s got a bit of him in his game.'”
Ibrahim Maza stats and the PSG threat
The numbers back up the hype. Since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Hertha BSC in a €12m deal, Maza has scored nine goals and provided 10 assists in 56 appearances.
That has PSG interested. Reports this week said the French champions have already signalled their intention to make a move, speaking to the player’s entourage and keeping a close eye on his situation.
Arsenal are hunting for attacking options too, with a €80m Atletico Madrid winger also on the radar and a shortlist of more than 20 names to work through.
Can Arsenal win the Ibrahim Maza race?
I like what I am hearing. Maza is not hiding from the big comparisons or the big clubs, and that kind of confidence is exactly what Mikel Arteta looks for in a young attacker.
The worry is PSG. They have a clear need, they have already made contact with his camp, and Leverkusen will not let a player like this go cheaply in the middle of a season.
If Arsenal want him, a summer move looks far more realistic than January. At least they now know Maza already counts Arsenal among the biggest clubs in the world.
