Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is reportedly prepared to beat Real Madrid in the pursuit of long-term target and Lyon midfielder Nabil Fekir.
The France international has stood out for Les Gones in the current campaign with 16 goals and a further six assists in all competitions.
According to Don Balon, the Gunners are aiming to hijack Los Blancos’ move for the Lyon graduate, and Wenger is keen to have a deal worth £44m sorted out before this summer’s World Cup.
The 24-year-old is normally an attacking midfielder by trade but he has also shown promise in the central midfield role, where he featured against Paris Saint-Germain in a 2-1 win earlier this term.
As per Don Balon, Zidane is hoping to utilise his reputation in order to lure his compatriot to the Bernabeu, but Wenger has a similar influence on Fekir, with the player’s father previously admitting that his son would prefer to join the Gunners whenever he decides to leave Lyon.
Arsenal presently have plenty of options in the attacking department, but there is still a lack of depth in terms of quality with the likes of Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck underperforming through the campaign.
As a result, it would not be a surprise, if Wenger decides to reunite Fekir with Lacazette, with the duo having possessed an impressive partnership alongside each other in the season past.
Nevertheless, the defence is more of a concern, and it will be interesting to see the club’s intent in bolstering the position, considering they showed a reluctance to strengthen the department in January.
Arsenal are presently 13 points off a potential Champions League spot via the league, but they can still progress to the elite competition next term by winning this season’s Europa League crown.
