Arsenal are closely monitoring Rennes midfielder Djaoui Cissé ahead of a possible summer move to the Emirates Stadium, according to Ekrem Konur.
Across Europe’s top five divisions, Mikel Arteta boasts a midfield pool few managers can rival, particularly after the additions of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Nørgaard, and Eberechi Eze, further strengthening a core that already features Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Ødegaard, and academy product Ethan Nwaneri, who is currently out on loan at Marseille.
Even with that depth, certain concerns remain: Christian Nørgaard will be 33 by next season, Mikel Merino is still recovering from a long-term foot injury, and Martin Ødegaard continues to deal with recurring fitness setbacks, all while speculation about his future persists.
Taking those factors into account, pursuing a younger midfielder of comparable quality and high potential appears to be a logical step, and Arsenal have now turned their attention to Cissé.
This is according to Ekrem Konur, who claims that the 6ft 2in midfielder is attracting keen interest from several clubs across Europe, including the Gunners.
Exciting midfielder
The report adds that the North London club are now closely monitoring the 22-year-old ahead of his potential transfer to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.
It appears the Gunners could seal a summer swoop for Cissé at a bargain price, as Konur adds that Rennes have placed a £23m valuation on the France U21 international, who is also of keen interest to Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Leeds United.
A deserved 2–1 loss to Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium could see the Gunners’ nine-point lead drop should Manchester City defeat Chelsea on Sunday.
Saturday’s early kick-off saw Arsenal struggle to find their rhythm, failing to take the opportunity to extend their lead to 12 points over title challengers Manchester City, who still have two games in hand and will host the league leaders in a pivotal clash next weekend.
Having lost just three times across their opening 49 matches in all competitions this season (37 wins and nine draws), the Gunners have now slipped to three losses in their last four outings (one win), increasing the pressure ahead of a crucial week that also includes the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting CP.
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