Arsenal appear to have taken on board Patrick Vieira's high praise for France midfielder Manu Kone and set their sights on the World Cup star.
The Gunners are in the market for a new central midfielder and are pursuing Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes. Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that the Brazilian has agreed on personal terms and would love to play for Mikel Arteta.
The main stumbling block is the Magpies' reluctance to sell Guimaraes after Sandro Tonali left St James' Park for Tottenham Hotspur in a £100 million deal. That could complicate matters, and Arteta's transfer chiefs are sounding out alternatives.
Arsenal In The Mix For France Star Manu Kone
Manu Kone Romavia Reuters
A report from TEAMtalk claims that Arsenal are among the clubs that have held talks with intermediaries over a move for Kone. The Frenchman's agents are sounding out potential destinations for the 25-year-old.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have also been spoken to, and it seems increasingly likely that he'll be on the move. AS Roma are prepared to sell Kone to help ensure they meet UEFA's financial regulations.
Roma view Kone as their most valuable asset and are demanding around £50 million for the player. He came into the World Cup after an injury-plagued season with the Italian outfit, who qualified for the UEFA Champions League, and has been labelled as 'France's best midfielder' by Rio Ferdinand.
With Arteta clearly pushing for Guimaraes, the North Londoners may well be ensuring they have a Plan B in place should they fail to sign the Newcastle skipper. It seems unlikely that two new midfielders will arrive at the Emirates, although Christian Norgaard has reportedly been told he's free to leave.
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Patrick Vieira is a Huge Kone Fan
Former Genoa coach Patrick Vieira looks on
There isn't anyone better for Arsenal to turn to for a verdict on signing Kone than club legend Vieira. The Frenchman became arguably the best midfielder in the Gunners' history.
Vieira has applauded Kone throughout France's World Cup campaign and believes he's even better than Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni. He told ITV (via Metro): "He is for me, the best midfielder in France today. I would put him ahead of Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot because he has got this mobility to move around the pitch."
He added: "He is aggressive, he is a ball winner and he has got this technical ability to be part of the build-up. He can break lines and play forward."
Kone's future has been the subject of speculation since the transfer window opened and a move to the Premier League is a possibility. He has Vieira's backing amid a stellar showing at the World Cup.
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