Even with William Saliba's absence, the second Qatar World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco on Wednesday evening proved to be worthwhile for many Arsenal supporters.
Mainly because it provided an opportunity for a scouting mission with the January transfer window just around the corner and following Mikel Arteta's admission that the Gunners will be active in attempts to maintain a Premier League title pursuit during the second half of the season.
"We are looking and we are very active looking at the possibilities," the Spaniard confirmed to reporters after Arsenal's impressive 2-1 victory against AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup earlier in the week. "If we can find the players that can strengthen the team we will try."
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Now, whilst the north London outfit are waiting till the World Cup is over before totally finalising any plans, football.london understands that a wide player and central midfielder are the priority areas the club are exploring, hence links to Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Interestingly, if the Ukraine international is indeed the player whom Arteta and Gunners sporting director Edu are targeting ahead of the new year, that would leave one transfer mission for the pair to complete and as a result, some Gunners supporters are hoping to lend a helping hand.
If Arsenal scouts were in attendance for France's 2-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday evening, they would have witnessed another impressive display from Azzedine Ounahi, even though the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech were the star names on show.
The Angers midfielder caught the eye throughout Morocco's run to the semi-final and was one of their standout performers despite the defeat and if the reaction on Twitter is anything to go by, it's safe to say that the 22-year-old would be an ideal signing in January for many Arsenal fans.
@koba_lee pinpointed why Arteta and Edu should target Ounahi by listing the midfielder's qualities: "Box-to-box midfielder, progressive carrier, vertical, fast & dynamic, excellent technique, touch & close control, playmaking skills, skillful dribbler, good work rate & defensive reliability. Azzedine Ounahi will perfectly fit into Mikel Arteta’s project for Arsenal."
@Ahmedelhadi2010 said: "Ounahi, what a talent! Best emerging talent in the @FIFAWorldCup. Confident, able and young. @Arsenal, sign him please", @amrxshAFC said: "Arsenal should get Ounahi he's such a baller", @Larsey_Jnr said: "@Arsenal kindly get Ounahi as a backup and @allanjose256 said: "We should give Albert Sambi Lokonga to Angers plus £15m for Azzedine Ounahi."
@CharlieOgada said: "Him being 22 over qualifies him to be playing at the carpet. Edu and Arteta, bring Ounahi to Arsenal quick fast", @Osamaabdelnaby5 had this suggestion: "Mikel Arteta, forget about Danilo, Milinkovic-Savic and Tielemans, sign Ounahi. He's the proper successor to Granit Xhaka trust me he's the perfect player for us."
For these Arsenal supporters' dream to come true, the club would have to beat a number of clubs to his signature. According to reports, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain have all sent scouts to watch Ounahi over the past 12 months. Meanwhile, his World Cup performances have also alerted Leicester City, Newcastle United, Southampton, West Ham United, Wolves and Atalanta.
With that said, Arsenal legend Ray Parlour is certainly in agreement with fans calling for Ounahi to be signed next month. "Ounahi, the No.8, he is different class," the former midfielder told talkSPORT Breakfast. "Would I take him at Arsenal? Definitely! With that performance and what I’ve seen of him in this tournament, he’s not fazed by big games, the biggest game for his country maybe ever.
"He just looked so comfortable, he was always on the half-turn and looking to probe and try to get balls in behind the full-backs. Morocco were very good. The way they pass the ball and move, they were excellent."
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