Arsenal have reportedly joined the race to sign Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi, but the Frenchman will cost £25m and is of interest to their rivals too.
In what is a strange link given the midfield options at Arsene Wenger’s disposal already, The Express claim that the Gunners are considering a move for the former Stoke City man but will face competition from Juventus, Chelsea and Manchester City.
There’s no denying that N’Zonzi has matured and improved into a quality midfielder during his time in Spain and has the added benefit of having experience of playing in the English top flight already.
As noted in the report, it appeared as though the Frenchman would have a straight choice between Chelsea or City, but Arsenal have seemingly thrown their hat into the ring too and will have to move quickly in order to beat their rivals to the punch.
The Gunners have responded well after costly defeats to Everton and City last month, as they have bounced back with wins over West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace to remain in the hunt.
Although Santi Cazorla remains sidelined with injury, the likes of Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin have been holding the fort in midfield and so another tenacious midfield ace doesn’t seem to make much sense in terms of what Arsenal need.
Nevertheless, the report suggests that they are admirers of N’Zonzi and could make a late scramble to beat others to his signature and seal his return to England.
Chelsea have been linked with various midfielders from around Europe with Antonio Conte looking for depth and quality beyond N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic, while Pep Guardiola will also be keen to add some solidity to his faltering side with a midfielder high on his list, particularly with the long-term absence of crocked summer signing Ilkay Gundogan.