Gunners tracking French starlet.
Arsenal could make a move for St Etienne midfielder Joshua Guilavogui if they miss out on the signing of Yohan Cabaye, according to the Daily Mail.
The Gunners had an opening bid of around £10million rejected by Newcastle for the French playmaker, and it is unclear still whether or not Arsenal will come back with an offer closer to the Magpies’ asking price of £20million.
With PSG also reportedly monitoring Cabaye’s situation, Arsenal may turn to a cheaper option with an approach for St Etienne’s Guilavogui, a 22-year-old French international who impressed in Ligue 1 last season.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is known for finding young players on the cheap from his native France, and has done so already this summer with his only signing being 20-year-old striker Yaya Sanogo, who joined from Auxerre.
Although Guilavogui is a more defensive midfielder than Cabaye, Wenger may choose to prioritise that area of the pitch if he cannot land the Newcastle man, as he is still lacking options in that area following last summer’s sale of Alex Song to Barcelona.
With injuries sustained to Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby as well, Wenger’s need for cover in that position is greater than ever, and he has already missed out on one top target, with Sevilla’s Geoffrey Kondogbia joining Monaco.