Arsenal might be about to land a French superstar currently at Euro 2024, as manager Mikel Arteta reshapes his squad this summer.
The Gunners have a long lineage of Gallic greats, with legendary manager Arsene Wenger, all-time record scorer Thierry Henry, Arsenal's last title-winning captain Patrick Vieira all hailing from across the channel. Right now, only centre-back William Saliba plays for Les Bleus – but the precocious centre-back has called on his employers to surround him with more Frenchmen at London Colney.
“When I came here there were a lot of French players,“ Saliba told Arsenal's official media last December, referencing former captains, Alexandre Lacazette, French-born Gabonese international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, French-born Ivory Coast star Nicolas Pepe and Matteo Guendouzi. “We need to sign more French players! Because everyone has their gang. Portuguese, Brazilians they are all together.”
Saliba may be about to get his wish – and alongside him in the backline – as journalist Gerard Romero that Arsenal have enquired to Barcelona about signing his international team-mate, Jules Kounde.
Kounde is comfortable at centre-back and right-back, playing a similar role to Ben White in the Gunners' setup. With Arteta used Jurrien Timber as a left-back in preseason 12 months ago before the Dutchman suffered a season-ending ACL injury on Matchday 1 against Nottingham Forest though, it's possible that former Sevilla man could be used anywhere across the back four like Timber.
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The move may well be within the realms of possibility given Barça's dire financial situation. As per the Athletic last month, the Catalan outfit have until June 30 to fix a “€130m hole in their accounts” – meaning that sensible offers will have to be considered for many of their more valuable players this summer.
In FourFourTwo's view, this is a move that has come out of nowhere but one that we can see the sense in Barcelona accepting – especially if fellow centre-back/right-back option Ronald Araujo stays put this summer. There are only a couple of questions that really need answering – and both of them come from Arsenal.
The Gunners lack a left-back of Ben White's ilk and would surely prioritise one over another right-back, what with White, Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu all natural fits there. If Arsenal can snare Kounde for a reasonable enough fee, it may be enough to convince Arteta to press on adapting to Timber into a full-time left-back – but it would have to be such an outstanding deal that it completely negates the clamour for a proper, traditional left-back.
Kounde is worth €45 million, according to Transfermarkt.
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Arsenal are pushing hard to sign Ebere Eze from Crystal Palace, Joshua Kimmich has been linked and Mikel Merino is on the radar. Two Arsenal academy graduates are said to be up for sale, as well.
Meanwhile Leandro Trossard's father has blasted Belgium boss, Domenico Tedesco, and Granit Xhaka is set for an Emirates return with Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
