Arsenal have reportedly declared their interest in signing midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko in the summer, according to reports from le10sport.
It is understood that the French club will be commanding a fee roughly around €30 million(£25.5m) for the 22-year-old.
The report further states that the North London club have already contacted the player’s representatives on a possible move to the Emirates after the youngster recently declined a contract extension at Monaco FC.
With the player currently on a wage less than a €100,000-per-week, it is easy to understand why this transfer is a possibility for the Gunners who operate on a very tight wage structure.
Furthermore, Bakayoko’s style of play which includes ball retrieval and transition from defense to attack makes him an ideal candidate for the Gunners’ midfield as Santi Carzola’s struggles continue on the sidelines.
As Jack Wilshere’s future at the Emirates remains uncertain, one can understand the proactive mindset of the North London club’s decision makers.
Arsenal are not the only Premier league side interested in his services as Chelsea and Man City are also said to have shown interest in the player according to metro.co.uk.
The Gunners’ faithful will most likely be excited by the news as the season seems to have taken a habitual nosedive due to Santi’s absence and his peculiar style of play, which Bakayoko seems to embody bar the dancing feet.
His display against Man City in the Champions League was quite impressive and is seen as one of the reasons for the sudden spike of his market value and interest from Premier League giants has also intensified since.
He definitely has the quality to succeed in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if he can adjust to the physical demands of English football, which is quite different from Ligue1.
There’s also a rumor that Manchester United are interested in signing the player as a successor to Michael Carrick according to express.co.uk.
There’s almost no doubt Tiemoue Bakayoko will be leaving Monaco in the Summer but where he will be plying his trade, remains to be seen.
