Arsenal close in on Le Harve star Pape Gueye

Bengaluru, February 14: After slowly stamping his authority, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is believed to be preparing himself for a busy summer transfer window.

They may already have made two signings, with loanees Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares, who could seal permanent moves. But the Gunners boss is still evaluating his squad and is likely to be more active in the summer.

A number of players are already being linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium, and midfield reinforcements seem to be a priority for Arteta and co. The former Arsenal midfielder is prioritising a box-to-box midfielder and a creative central midfielder.

With that in mind, as per Jeunes Footeux, Arsenal reportedly are monitoring a midfielder from French second division, Papa Gueye who now plays for Le Havre.

The 6 foot+ defensive midfielder is a box to box player and a cross between N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba. Gueye has earned international caps at youth level for France since his Le Havre debut in 2017. He has made 37 appearances in total for his club while managing six caps for his country’s Under-19s.

Arsenal have often dipped into Ligue 2 to find promising talents and Matteo Guendouzi's move from Lorient recently is one of the prime example of that.

The 21-year-old midfielder has proved to be a success, which makes Arsenal repeat the trick this summer. Gueye's signing could come as a cheap option given that his contract expires in summer 2021. As per reports, Arsenal could get him for as low as £5m.

The Gunners, however, could face competition from AC Milan, Fiorentina, Udinese and Sevilla but it is understood that Arsenal currently lead the race for his signature.

What will he add to the Arsenal side?

Although, Arsenal have plenty of options in the midfield, Arteta wants to rebuild the squad for future. The midfielder could be a useful player for Arteta's possession-based system. The 22-year-old is likely to add more depth to the Arsenal midfield, which has lagged behind other sides this season.

The Le Harve midfielder is known for his mobility and the drive to break opposition build-up, therefore, his aggression could further strengthen Arsenal’s second line of press. But more importantly, he is also gifted with the passing technique which makes a perfect midfield option.

However, he may not be a regular straight away and would find it tought to get into the starting XI on a consistent basis. Arteta has used Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira in a double pivot so far and qith Gueye also in the same mould of the pair, he would need some commitment to displace them.

Moreover, they already have a good young midfielder in Matteo Guendouzi waiting in the ranks. So, if he signs for the side he would be a squad player as it stands.

As a second division player, he surely lacks top tier experience but the French midfielder is only 21, meaning he has time on his side and a lot of room to improve himself as a midfielder. But, in the summer with one or two names from the squad expected to be let go, he could be a good option to look into. And with time, he could emerge as a good option.