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Football London
Football London
Sport
Chris Davison

Arsenal 'interested' in signing former player as Edu plans next transfer amid Serge Gnabry links

Arsenal may already have four new faces through the door, but that isn't putting a halt to the club's pursuit of other targets. The services of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos have been secured so far, although there remains a need for other positions to be bolstered.

The 2022/23 season will be demanding for Mikel Arteta's side. The return to Europe and the introduction of five substitutions means that strength in depth has never been more important. There appears to be a desire to add options on the wing and in defence, while central midfield is also thought to be an area of interest.

Well-established links to Youri Tielemans certainly back that up, and talks with his representatives have been ongoing for some time, football.london understands. However, no official bid has been made as of yet, and other names continue to surface, which suggests several players are being looked at.

READ MORE: The two key reasons Arsenal are interested in signing Youri Tielemans in summer transfer window

Ismael Bennacer is the latest player to be the subject of interest from Arsenal, according to calciomercatoweb. The report states that the Gunners are ready to offer €40m (£34m) for the player, which 'could cause AC Milan to falter.'

A separate report published by calciomercato.com last month claimed that Bennacer had almost agreed a contract extension with Milan until he put the deal on hold in order to get clarity on the club's project.

Bennacer is someone who will already be familiar to Arsenal fans, having been at the club between 2015 and 2017. Although his potential was clear for all to see, he never managed to break into the first-team squad and eventually moved on. Since then, the 24-year-old has developed into an exciting talent which saw him get a big move to Milan in 2019.

Capable of playing anywhere in a central midfield position, Bennacer would certainly give Arteta's squad some much-needed flexibility. The only downside is his lack of goal contributions, scoring just nine and assisting 17 across 238 appearances, though it must be said that he has mainly operated in more of a defensive role.

Links to former Arsenal players have been somewhat of a theme this summer, with Serge Gnabry previously being mentioned due to the uncertainty currently surrounding his own future at Bayern Munich. Interestingly, Arteta will know both players well after playing and training alongside them at Arsenal.

READ NEXT:

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Kieran Tierney return, transfer hints and what to look out for in Arsenal pre-season friendly

Arsenal 'planning' summer transfer offer for defender and it's not Lisandro Martinez

Arteta assist, Marquinhos forfeit as Gabriel Jesus makes exciting prediction in Arsenal training

Arsenal set new transfer 'deadline' for next signing as Edu continues talks over £43m star

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