Chelsea and Liverpool interested in France squad surprise called up by Zinedine Zidane

Having produced an excellent display on his first call-up to the France squad under Zinedine Zidane, Lucas Da Cunha has seen a number of leading English clubs take an interest in his profile and situation ahead of future transfer windows.

Included in new France head coach Zinedine Zidane's first squad for the two Nations League matches against Turkey (1-0) and Belgium (1-0), Lucas Da Cunha remained on the bench against the Turks before earning his first cap against Belgium.

Ninety minutes later, the 25-year-old midfielder emerged as one of the big winners and one of the main revelations of the 1998 World Cup winner's first squad gathering.

Rated by L'Equipe as the best of the three starting midfielders against Belgium, the Como player will undoubtedly have earned himself credit through his performance on the international stage.

Lucas Da Cunha valued at £25.5m, and that figure could rise further

What impact could this have on his future transfer prospects? Lucas Da Cunha is one of four surprise names in Zidane's squad who could be targeting a big-money move.

To put it another way, this highly convincing first cap for Les Bleus represents a further argument in favour of a move to a more prestigious club than his current employers.

Having arrived on the other side of the Alps for just £637,500 in January 2023 from Nice, the new number 21 for France currently holds a market value of £25.5m, even before his high-class display against Belgium. Lucas Da Cunha can therefore legitimately expect his value to continue rising.

Under contract until June 2031 with Cesc Fabregas's side, who finished fourth in Serie A last season and have qualified for this season's Champions League league phase, having signed a contract extension back in July, the Roanne-born player already has several clubs positioning themselves for a future deal, with the Premier League the common destination.

Chelsea and Liverpool keen on Lucas Da Cunha

According to information from TeamTalk, four English clubs are now reportedly ready to battle it out for the former Ligue 1 player, who is the captain of an Italian club currently eighth in Serie A and secured a comfortable win over Germany's RB Leipzig on his Champions League debut (4-1).

Alongside Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, Lucas Da Cunha is of particular interest to Chelsea and Liverpool. This prestigious dual interest reflects the rapid progress made by the French international.

Both the Blues and Liverpool will undoubtedly have watched his performance against Belgium closely, and neither club appears to have lost any enthusiasm for the idea of signing him in the future.