Arsenal have a history of signing French players. 24 Frenchmen have played for the Gunners in total, and some have turned out to be world class superstars such as Thierry Henry, while others some have not… Pascal Cygan, for example.
Arsenal are also known to sign many of their players for the French league – Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Flamini, Laurent Koscielny and Yaya Sanogo were all signed from French clubs. Arsene Wenger, of course, is French is himself, so is always on the lookout for the next big star and it seems as though he may have his eyes on the French league, yet again.
As France are in the spotlight at the moment as EURO 2016 passes by, Wenger will be on the lookout for new players so that Arsenal can have a shot at the Premier League title in, perhaps, his last season in north London.
So here are five men from Ligue 1 that Wenger could be looking at…
Alexandre Lacazette
Lacazette will feel hard done by that he didn’t make the French squad for EURO 2016. The pacy 24-year-old grabbed 23 goals throughout the campaign for Lyon and also claimed four assists.
He was overlooked by Didier Deschamps whilst Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud did make the final squad. Arsenal fans would surely still prefer a man who on average, scores every 141 minutes as opposed to Giroud, who went 15 games without a goal this year.
Wissam Ben Yedder
Another striker here, Wissam Ben Yeder also scored 23 goals this term whilst also providing a further five assists for his team-mates at Toulouse.
The 25-year-old was a vital player in Ligue 1 and is Toulouse’s greatest goalscorer this century.
Marquinhos
Marquinhos is one of the most decorated players in the world at the moment, and he’s only 22. He has won 11 trophies in his five seasons as a professional footballer including three league titles with PSG.
The Brazilian played 43 times for the Ligue 1 champions last season and would cost a lot if Arsenal were to sign him. He would certainly be worth it though, he is a born winner and a great tackler, as well as being strong in the air and a calm passer.
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Adrien Rabiot
Arsenal don’t exactly need another star midfielder. The Gunners already have some of the best midfielders in the world including the likes of Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere. However Arsene Wenger almost eyed the 21 year old in January.
He would certainly bring some flair to the Arsenal side, but with Arsenal recently signing Granit Xhaka, it is unlikely that the Gunners will go for yet another midfielder.
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Samuel Umtiti
This could turn out to be an extraordinary signing. Samuel Umtiti is one of the most wanted men in football at the moment. The 22-year-old is one of the most solid centre backs in Europe and is more than capable of a goal or two, he scored a stunning strike against Arsenal’s rival Spurs, in the Europa League in 2013. Umtiti has the potential to become on of the best defenders in the world, but Barcelona are on the prowl for him…
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