There is another teenager making headlines in French football. With Arsenal and Chelsea closely watching, the noise around him explains a lot about the timing of his breakthrough.
Montpellier have decided to hand Laciné Megnan-Pavé a professional contract at just 15 years of age, a move clearly accelerated by growing interest from the London rivals, according to L’Équipe.
The French club moved quickly to lock down one of their most promising academy products before the situation became harder to control.
Megnan-Pavé, captain of France’s U16 side, has signed a deal running until June 2028. Because he is still a minor, the contract could not exceed three years. Even so, Montpellier wanted everything sorted before his stagiaire deal expired this summer. The club were well aware that European giants were already circling.
The report explains that Arsenal and Barcelona have followed the striker for over a year. Recently, however, Chelsea’s ownership group BlueCo, which also controls Strasbourg, became more assertive. That shift changed the internal tempo at Montpellier, with president Laurent Nicollin pushing to secure the teenager as soon as possible.
On the pitch, Megnan-Pavé has been justifying the attention. He already plays regularly for Montpellier’s U19s, scoring five goals in 11 league matches. Last weekend, he added a goal and an assist in the Coupe Gambardella. Physically dominant for his age, he stands out even against older opponents.
At international level, he has four goals in five appearances for France U16. Montpellier see the contract as protection. For the Premier League clubs involved, it is simply another name to keep very close tabs on.