One of the revelations of the Jupiler Pro League this season, Hassane Bandé is attracting a lot of interest around Europe, and for good reason.
Moving from Salitas in Burkina Faso to KV Mechelen in the summer, the 19-year-old striker has already scored nine goals in 11 games for the Belgian side, and Arsenal are keeping an eye on his progress.
At least, that’s what Estadio Deportivo are claiming on Tuesday, relaying an article from Het Laatste Nieuws, with the likes of Valencia, Sevilla and a handful of German clubs also listed.
However, when looking at the original text, there is no mention of the Gunners, or even Arsène Wenger, suggesting the Spanish outlet have thrown their name in for good measure.
After all, saying your club are interested in a player Arsenal, who have a good track record when it comes to scouting young African talent (Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré etc…), are also keen on sounds quite nice.
Signing a contract with Mechelen until 2019, Bandé isn’t expected to leave so soon after his arrival, according to the Belgian side’s chairman, Johan Timmermans, but if the right offer comes along, they might struggle to say no.
Yet, if they were forced to accept a good bid for their new starlet, the decision would still be his, and he wants to at least finish his first season in Europe with the same club.
He told HLN: “Honestly, I’m not busy thinking about a transfer now. I see myself finishing the season with Mechelen. The most important part of my career is to play minutes, and I can do that here”.
