Arsene Wenger Lining-Up Move For Impressive Ligue 1 Star

The January transfer window is now closed but that won’t stop the newspapers from speculating ahead of the summer so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are  linked with Lyon ace Samuel Umtiti…

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is lining-up a move for impressive Lyon centre-back Samuel Umtiti this summer as he looks to further strengthen his defensive options, according to reports.

We brought in Brazilian centre-half Gabriel Paulista in January but it’s understood that Wenger is still planning to sign another defender this summer with doubts continuing over the long-term future of Per Mertesacker.

The German international was left out against Everton last weekend after a disappointing display during our Champions League defeat to Monaco, and although he returned to the starting eleven against QPR last night, his place in the first team in most certainly under threat.

There have been suggestions Mertesacker could be sold at the end of the season the Metro are now citing reports coming out of France that claim Wenger is eyeing up a move for Lyon ace Umtiti.

The 21-year-old has been in excellent form for Hubert Fournier’s side this season and his presence at the back has played a key role in them challenging for the Ligue 1 title this campaign.

Understandably his performances have caught the eye of some of Europe’s top clubs with the likes of Spurs, Southampton, Manchester City, Everton and Wolfsburg all reportedly keeping a close eye on his progress.

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But the Metro seem to think we’re leading the chase and it will be interesting to see if Wenger manages to get a deal done. Umtiti is contracted with Lyon until 2017 and I’m sure they’ll be desperate to keep hold of him, so we might have to dig deep if we want to stand a chance of persuading them to cash-in this summer.

Mertesacker’s recent form is a worry and I personally don’t see him being a first team starter next season, so if he isn’t going to be content with being a back-up, then perhaps it’s best to sell and bring in a youngster like Umtiti.