Arsenal must avoid repeating their Dusan Vlahovic mistake by trying to steal Aurelien Tchouameni from the hands of Chelsea.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal have identified the midfielder as a summer signing and will have to compete with Chelsea and Liverpool if they want to complete a deal.
The failure from Vlahovic should have taught the Gunners a stern lesson that they are not yet ready to compete with teams who regularly play in the Champions League for the most promising players.
The Gunners are in desperate need of a midfielder, and Tchouameni would certainly be an excellent acquisition, but fighting Chelsea for his signature would certainly be risky.
Chelsea have been tracking the Monaco youngster for years and was reportedly a summer target for the Blues after his representatives met with Petr Cech about a potential deal.
It seems as though Arsenal’s London rivals are ahead in the race to sign him, and Edu would be wasting valuable time to try and make an ambitious bid.
Arsenal will certainly need to sign a midfielder in the summer as Granit Xhaka could be on his way out due to his constant links to Serie A side AS Roma, and Mohamed Elneny’s contract is set to expire.
Thomas Partey will need a player alongside him that provides the necessary quality, which Albert Sambi Lokonga is not yet ready to do, despite the excellent potential he possesses.
An easier midfield target for Arsenal to chase would be Renato Sanches from Lille, who has already expressed his desire to potentially join the club.
Speaking to L’Equipe, Sanches said: “Maybe Milan and Arsenal are interested but I don’t know. I spoke with my agent, I know which clubs are calling me but I can’t say right now. But I know I’m ready. If an offer comes in, I’ll find out what’s best for me.”
The intrigue at a potential deal is also reciprocated as Arsenal are 'very interested' in signing the Lille midfielder, according to recent reports.
Qualifying for Champions League football is an absolute necessity if the Gunners want to be able to compete for the world’s most promising players, and they are in a great position to achieve that this season.
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