Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo is on Arsenal’s summer shortlist as a potential late attacking signing, according to a report from France.
Sebastien Denis reports for Foot Mercato that Arsenal have added Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo to their shortlist for potential forward additions to the squad in the last week of the summer window.
Denis claims the Gunners are monitoring Fernandez-Pardo’s situation very closely, though they know they’ll have to pay a high price to complete the signing.
The likes of Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig are also in the race, but appear unwilling to meet that asking price for the 21-year-old.
Lille president Olivier Letang had previously insisted Fernandez-Pardo was not for sale, saying: “The player is under contract until 2029, and his departure is not an issue. We are counting on him, he knows that, and we have been very clear with him.”
But Foot Mercato now claim that Fernandez-Pardo isn’t for sale unless an offer exceeding €70m (£59.9m) arrives. That’s obviously not quite the same as being untransferrable, though it is a very significant outlay.
L’Equipe previously reported that Liverpool and Chelsea are also in the race, but there’s been no suggestion that any of the clubs involved are close to completing the signing.
Fernandez-Pardo scored eight goals and assisted another seven in 2025/26, going on a run of seven goal contributions in Lille’s final 10 games of the Ligue 1 campaign.
The Belgium international striker helped his club side qualify for the Champions League this season, before heading off to the World Cup, where he played 41 minutes across three appearances before their eventual elimination by Spain.
Fernandez-Pardo missed Lille’s first game of the season through a suspension carried over from 2025/26, which was probably a good thing. With all the transfer speculation, the player would likely prefer to sit out until his situation is sorted.
But if there’s no resolution by Friday, Lille may well call upon Fernandez-Pardo for their big game at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
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