Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a potential summer transfer swoop for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare as Mikel Arteta draws up his wish-list for next season.
The France Under-21 international has really caught the eye in Ligue 1 this season, looking one of the most outstanding young talents in Europe.
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A recent report from Le 10 Sport claimed Soumare rejected a move to Newcastle in January and was hoping to join Manchester United or Liverpool in the summer, with a £51million fee likely to be enough to seal a transfer.
However, the Daily Mail now claim he’s one of the players on Arsenal’s radar as Arteta lines up a major revamp of his squad at the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Soumare looks ideal for Arsenal’s needs in midfield after some disappointing form this season from the likes of Granit Xhaka and Matteo Guendouzi.
It remains to be seen, however, if the 20-year-old would pick the Gunners over clubs like Man Utd or Liverpool if they also showed an interest in him.
The Mail also mention Real Madrid as potential suitors for Soumare, so this seems one of Arsenal’s more ambitious transfer targets.
United also badly need improvements on under-performing midfielders like Nemanja Matic and Andreas Pereira, while Liverpool may perhaps want a signing like this to build for the future as the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum can’t go on forever.