One Arsenal target has admitted that he wants to leave his club this summer.
The Gunners fell just two points short of Premier League champions Manchester City. They pushed Pep Guardiola’s side until the last day of the season, but it just wasn’t enough.
Arsenal need reinforcements this summer and a new midfielder is on the agenda. One of Mikel Arteta’s targets has now shed some light on his future.
Arsenal target Youssouf Fofana shares what he has told his club’s bosses
Arsenal are a bit light in the middle of their park.
Declan Rice is their main man there and Jorginho will be available too, having signed a new contract. However, Mohamed Elneny has confirmed his departure, while Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga could be sold.
Lokonga has even been linked with a move to Bayern Munich following Vincent Kompany’s appointment as their new boss.
A new midfielder is an absolute necessity for Arsenal, and among all the names linked with a move to the Emirates is Monaco star Youssouf Fofana.
Reports have claimed that the Gunners are in talks with Fofana’s camp over a move this summer, once he enters the final year of his contract.
Fofana, who is a member of France’s Euros squad, has already made up his mind about his future – he wants to leave Monaco in this summer’s transfer window.
The Frenchman now revealed that he has told his club’s hierarchy to let him go – and they’ve agreed!
He said, as per the Standard: “I have spoken about it (leaving) with the hierarchy, it isn’t a secret.
“We had exchanges and they agreed to accompany me in this new stage. If [a move] doesn’t happen, I still have a year left and I will be happy to stay.
“We were in agreement that we would accompany each other in this process in which everyone should be a winner, be it me or the club.”
What is Fofana’s style of play?
Fofana has been one of Monaco’s best players for a few years now.
The Frenchman can play both as a defensive midfielder and as a number eight, and he has the characteristics to excel in both roles.
Fofana is excellent in tight spaces. The Final Third write that he possesses ‘lightning-quick feet’, which helps him get out of difficult positions.
To add to that, the midfielder’s ‘subtle touches’, ‘clever ball control’, ‘spins, quick ball switches, and an array of body feints’ make him press resistant.
Fofana also possesses an ‘exceptional’ range of passing and he is extremely ‘fearless’ when he dives into challenges to win the ball back as well.
All of the above make him a great fit in the Premier League, but whether Arsenal will be able to sign him remains to be seen.