Arsenal and Chelsea scouted 18-year-old target against Aston Villa this week

Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with the move for the LOSC Lille defender Leny Yoro at the end of the season.

The 18-year-old is widely regarded as one of the finest young defensive prospects in European football right now, and the French defender has been linked with a move to the Premier League by HITC.

The report states that officials from Arsenal and Chelsea were in attendance when the defender was in action against Aston Villa during the mid-week.

A move to Arsenal Chelsea will be an interesting opportunity for him and it remains to be seen whether the two clubs come forward with an official proposal to sign him.

The player has been linked with European heavyweights like Real Madrid Madrid as well.

Yoro has already established himself as an important starter for Lille and he is certainly good enough for the Premier League. He might need some time to adapt to English football, but he has the physical and technical attributes to thrive at clubs like Arsenal or Chelsea.

The French defender could prove to be a quality long-term acquisition for Arsenal. They will need to add more depth to their squad if they want to compete for major trophies. Arsenal have an exciting squad, but they need more options if they want to do well across multiple competitions.

Chelsea need Leny Yoro to replace Thiago Silva

As far as Chelsea are concerned, they will need to sign a quality young central defender in the summer, especially when Thiago Silva leaves the club. The Brazilian will be a free agent in the summer and he will have to be replaced adequately. Silva has been an exceptional servant for Chelsea since joining the club and the Blues will need a quality player to fill his void.

The opportunity to join a big club in the Premier League can be quite tempting for most players and the 18 year-old French defender is likely to be attracted to the idea of playing for Arsenal or Chelsea. It remains to be seen which of the two clubs manage to secure an agreement with Lille in the coming weeks.