Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing the Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba.
According to a report from Portuguese publication O Jogo (h/t Sportwitness), the 20-year-old defensive midfielder is on Arsenal’s radar and the Gunners will have to face competition from a number of European clubs for his services.
The report states that the likes of Villarreal, Atalanta, and Paris Saint-Germain are all keen on signing the 20-year-old defensive midfielder in the upcoming windows.
The player has a release clause of €30 million in his current contract, and it will be interesting to see if Arsenal are willing to trigger the clause and secure his services in the near future.
It is no secret that Arsenal will have to add to their midfield in the upcoming windows. However, Bamba might not be ready for their first team just yet.
Bamba, who is Italian by birth is eligible to represent Ivory Coast as well. He could be a quality long-term prospect for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta needs to bring in someone who can make an immediate impact and strengthen the Gunners in the middle of the park.
The Arsenal manager has been overly reliant on Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey as his only midfielders this season and both players have been overused as a result of that.
Arsenal are on top of the Premier League table and they will be hoping to sustain the title challenge until the end. They will need to add more bodies in January, in order to rotate the squad and keep the players fresh.
Bringing in a quality central midfielder should be a top priority for the Gunners and it remains to be seen whether they can get a deal over the line in January.