Arsenal have stepped up their scouting of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza, with the 20-year-old Algeria international attracting attention from a host of top Premier League clubs.

According to reports citing TeamTalk, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have both watched Maza closely this season as they assess whether a formal transfer bid could follow. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Aston Villa are also monitoring the Bundesliga star, underlining how sharply his reputation has risen in recent months.

A midfielder built for the modern game

Maza has been described as one of the Bundesliga's most exciting young attacking midfielders — a label that explains why Arsenal's recruitment department are paying particularly close attention. He is technically clean, positionally intelligent, and capable of operating across multiple advanced roles.

What sets Maza apart, according to the reports, is his mastery of the half-spaces. He is said to be especially comfortable receiving possession in those narrow corridors between the lines, turning, and driving directly at defenders. That ability to manipulate tight areas is precisely the kind of quality Arsenal prize when building their attack.

Intelligence as a key attribute

Beyond his technical qualities, observers have highlighted a sharp game intelligence that elevates Maza above the ordinary. His awareness and reading of developing situations reportedly allow him to find space and link play in dangerous areas — attributes that suit Arsenal's possession-based, high-tempo system.

For a club that invests heavily in projecting younger players into elite systems, those cognitive qualities carry real weight in any scouting assessment. Maza's profile appears to tick most of the boxes Arsenal look for in a modern attacking midfielder.

With Bayer Leverkusen unlikely to sell easily, any deal may take time to materialise — but the level of Premier League interest suggests that competition for his signature will be fierce when a move does become possible.