A midfielder who is set to leave his club this summer and is an Arsenal target, has now impressed in a start for his country.
It’s certainly no secret that Mikel Arteta would like to add a new middle man to play alongside Declan Rice next season.
Edu will once again be tasked with executing a deal, as Arsenal try and bridge the tiniest of margins to Manchester City.
It’s already been announced that Mohamed Elneny is leaving the club at the end of this month, something that isn’t a surprise.
But with Arteta one man less, it could become two if Thomas Partey also leaves Arsenal this summer.
The 30-year-old has been endlessly frustrating from an Arsenal fan perspective, so often missing with untimely injuries.
And with sufficient interest this summer, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if he left.
In terms of a replacement, Arsenal will need a new number six, and AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana now seems like an incredibly well-suited candidate.
Youssouf Fofana thrives for France on Wednesday after links with Arsenal move
25-year-old Fofana, who has been consistently linked with a move to Arsenal over the years, could be available for as little as £20m this summer.
After playing 89 minutes for France against Luxembourg last night, Fofana now has 18 caps for his country and will be at the Euros.
And although it was against fairly poor opposition by France’s standards, Fofana perhaps proved he’s ready to play for a club of Arsenal’s stature in his minutes on Wednesday night.
French outlet Le Parisien have just shared their reaction to the performance, praising Fofana for continuing to improve.
It read: “Without making any noise, the Monegasque midfielder continues to put together good matches in the midfield.
“Mobile, always ready to participate in the game, he also came to scratch small balls when necessary.”
Of course, at the price mentioned, Fofana could be a seriously attractive option for Arteta to pursue this summer.
On ability alone, Fofana would be a strong addition to Arsenal’s midfield, a true all-rounder in the middle.
And when you then consider his modest price tag, a deal would leave Arsenal with a lot of flexibility elsewhere in the market.
A move for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko could already cost Arsenal around £55m, with a new full-back wanted as well, the budget will only stretch so far.