Arsenal turn attention to £85m Real Madrid midfielder after agreeing stunning Declan Rice deal
ARSENAL have added Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni to their transfer shortlist, according to a sensational report.
The Gunners are closing in on the signing of Declan Rice after agreeing a £105million transfer fee with West Ham.
GettyArsenal reportedly have Aurelien Tchouameni on their shortlist[/caption]
GettyThe Gunners have agreed a £105m fee with West Ham to sign Declan Rice[/caption]
Mikel Arteta also had cause for celebration after completing the signing of Kai Havertz in a £65m deal from Chelsea.
Other reports suggest they have submitted a £41.5m bid for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.
Many fans would be forgiven for thinking this £200m-plus outlay would see Arsenal switch strategy to more emerging targets rather than established internationals.
However, FootballTransfers has revealed Arsenal still very much remain in the market for a second midfielder.
The report claims Arsenal will turn their attention to Frenchman Tchouameni if they cannot sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton or Moises Caicedo from Brighton.
Arsenal will “test the waters” in trying to get a deal done, with the north Londoners said to be long-term admirers of him.
The Spanish giants signed the 23-year-old in an £85m transfer from Monaco last season, beating the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool to his signature.
Tchouameni failed to stamp his authority on Carlo Ancelotti‘s team last season.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
This consequently saw him left out of a number of big games, namely in the Champions League where he was afforded only a smattering of minutes in the knockout stages.
The report adds Madrid president Florentino Perez sees Tchouameni as vital next season – with the Whites still reeling from the Casemiro sale – and has told Ancelotti to give him more minutes.
However, should Arsenal hold a genuine interest, they will reportedly need to fork out at least the same figure Madrid paid for the French international.
ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: Stay up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours from the Emirates
