Arsenal and Liverpool battle for wonderkid who snubbed Chelsea

Tom Weber

• 1 Feb 2024 09:31 CST
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in Swedish youngster Hugo Larsson, according to a report.

The 18-year-old has caught the eye at Eintracht Frankfurt this season, but in truth, this was to be expected. Regarded as one of Europe's biggest wonderkids, the Eagles pulled off something of a coup when they snapped him up from Malmo in the summer, his €9 million transfer fee making him the Allsvenskan's most expensive sale ever.

In Germany, Larsson has needed little time to get acclimatised to new surroundings despite still being only 19. The midfielder has been one of Frankfurt's standout performers so far this term, impressing both going forward and in helping out defensively.

Unsurprisingly, then, the youngster is attracting big-name attention with Frankfurt increasingly becoming one of the favourite hunting grounds of Europe's elite after developing Randal Kolo Muani and Jesper Lindstrom. On Wednesday, it was revealed that Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd are among the clubs taking a keen interest in Eagles defender Willian Pacho, and two of those clubs are also keen on his Swedish teammate.

Arsenal, Liverpool eyeing Larsson

That's at least according to BILD, who also broke the news of the interest in Pacho. The story with Larsson is similar to that of the defender, with Frankfurt initially planning to flip him for a massive profit two or three years after signing him but his good form already making a summer 2024 departure a distinct possibility.

It is asserted that Larsson is valued at around €80m by the Bundesliga side, the €90m PSG shelled out on Kolo Muani likely acting as a benchmark for that valuation. What works in Frankfurt's favour is that Larsson reportedly does not have a release clause, so they are in full control of his destiny and are under no pressure to sell him for less.

The teenager's contract runs until 2028. Intriguingly, Larsson is not unfamiliar to the Premier League's biggest hitters. During his time at Malmo, he had a trial with Chelsea and the chance to sign for the Blues but rejected them, believing that remaining in Sweden would be better for his development. It turned out to be the correct decision.