Arsenal eye swoop for £26m-rated Belgium U21 starlet to bolster midfield

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Arsenal are reportedly interested in Stuttgart midfielder Orel Mangala, although it’s said that it could take £26m to prise him away from the German outfit.

The 21-year-old has emerged as a key figure for the club this season, making 13 appearances in all competitions while he’s also now capped nine times for Belgium U21s.

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In turn, he has perhaps done enough to suggest that he has a bright future ahead of him for club and country, and it seems as though his form has attracted interest from elsewhere.

As reported by The Express, via HLN, it’s suggested that Arsenal are considering a swoop for the talented youngster to strengthen Unai Emery’s midfield options, although they could face stiff competition for their transfer target.

The report goes on to note that Lyon, Marseille, Lille and Roma are also keen on Mangala, and that arguably says a lot about his talent and potential if that string of European clubs have also been alerted to result in him being on their respective transfer radars too.

Should he move on though, it’s going to force the likes of Arsenal to dig deep into their pockets as it’s noted by the Express that £26m could be needed to prise him away from Stuttgart, and given his age and inexperience, it remains to be seen if that’s enough to put off the interested parties touted above.

That’s a lot of money for a young player who has yet to fully convince and prove himself at a high level, and so it could be seen as an expensive gamble. Nevertheless, if Arsenal are convinced by his potential, then perhaps they could be willing to make that investment for a long-term solution in midfield.

Emery has plenty of options in midfield currently, but with Dani Ceballos set to see his loan deal end in the summer, coupled with the lack of playing time for the likes of Mesut Ozil and doubts over Granit Xhaka since he lost the captaincy after his spat with Arsenal fans, the Spanish tactician may well need reinforcements in that department moving forward.

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