Arsenal Plan Move to Beat Chelsea In Race to Trigger £8.5m Release Clause to Sign French Youngster

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Emirates Stadium side look to overcome Stamford Bridge interest to win battle to snap up battler.

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Arsenal hope to beat off interest from Chelsea as they ready a move to sign Sevilla battler Geoffrey Kondogbia according to the Metro.

Arsene Wenger is keen to bring in some much needed steel and is said to be an admirer, one of many, in the 20 year old French who could be the latest player to leave Sevilla for the Premier League this summer.

The La Liga side have seen Jesus Navas, Luis Alberto, Alvaro Negredo, Gary Medel and Jose Campana all make moves to the English top tier and Kondogbia could be tempted into following suit.

Wenger is ready to trigger the former Lens midfielder’s £8.5m release clause and Sevilla boss Unai Emery is reportedly resigned to losing the battling midfielder who could well be keen to follow fellow French Under 20 international Yaya Sanogo to the Emirates Stadium.

‘We want him to stay here but there are circumstances that could lead to an exit,’ Emery told Spanish newspaper Marca.

Kondogbia racked up 31 La Liga appearances last season and is on the fringes of the senior French national team set-up and a move to Arsenal would surely help in his efforts to secure his first cap.

Arsenal do not have all that much in the way of a steely midfield presence and Wenger has not moved to cover the loss of Alex Song following his departure to Barcelona an issue that was exacerbated last term when Abou Diaby, predictably, was ruled out for much of the campaign with a myriad of injury issues.


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