Emirates Stadium side to snap up long term target.
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Respected French source L’Equipe report that Lyon have decided to offer midfielder Yoann Gourcuff on loan a deal that has reportedly interested many sides across Europe, chief among them being long term suitors Arsenal.
A temporary move from the Stade Gerland could well help to re-ignite the 26 year old’s flagging career and could in turn help to boost the value of a player Lyon would seemingly like to sell in order to continue their fight to balance the books.
Arsenal are reportedly ready to agree a deal and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas will give the go ahead to a move that will include a possible permanent release clause, should Arsene Wenger be sufficiently impressed enough to meet the Ligue 1 side’s asking price.
Gourcuff hasn’t played for Lyon this season due to injury but is said to be close to full fitness, just in time to be loaned out this month.
Lyon’s financial dire straits must be fairly monumental given that the club made a decent sum from the sales of Hugo Lloris, Aly Cissokho and Kim Källström to Tottenham, Valencia and Spartak Moscow respectively but still need to sell in order to stave off further debts.
Though French midfielder Gourcuff is perhaps not the same player he once was, his career blighted by injury and poor patches of form, at 26 years of age the former Bordeaux man still has a lot to offer and the temptation to pick up a long term target for a reduced price may be too much for Wenger to resist.
Arsenal do possess a number of players of a similar style to the attacking midfielder, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky to name two and arguably Jack Wilshere performs in the same type of role, however given the injuries this very trio have suffered over the past 18 months perhaps it’s still worth making a move for the one time AC Milan man.