Arsenal are reportedly set to battle with Everton and a couple of Ligue 1 clubs for the signing of Stade de Reims centre-forward Boulaye Dia.
According to a report from French publication Le10 Sport, Arsenal are interested in signing Senegalese striker Boulaye Dia from Ligue 1 outfit Stade de Reims in the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old came through the ranks at Jura Sud Foot and joined Reims in the summer of 2018. Since joining the club, Dia has featured 63 times for the club, scoring 20 goals and setting up one more. He made his debut for the Senegal national team in October earlier this year and has three caps to his name.
Dia has been enjoying a fine 2020/21 campaign thus far. The striker has found the back of the net on eight occasions in 12 Ligue 1 outings this term, with only Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain scoring more (10). And his exploits in front of goal haven’t gone unnoticed with a host of clubs, including Arsenal, showing an interest in the forward.
It has been a difficult season for Arsenal, especially in the Premier League, where they have struggled to score goals on a consistent basis. In fact, in 12 league outings, Mikel Arteta’s side have netted just 10 times so far – only three teams have scored fewer than the north London giants, two of whom are in the relegation zone.
Captain and star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hasn’t scored a league goal from open play since the opening day against Fulham while Alexandre Lacazette has also struggled for form. Eddie Nketiah has done fairly well in the UEFA Europa League but hasn’t been afforded many opportunities in the league.
Considering the lack of goals, Arsenal looking into the market to bolster their attacking unit in January makes sense, with Dia being a viable target owing to his form for Reims this season.
However, Arsenal are not alone in pursuit of the 24-year-old. Fellow Premier League outfit Everton are also believed to be monitoring the Senegalese striker while Ligue 1 clubs Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon are also interested in him.
It is claimed that Marseille have been long-term admirers of Dia and have been keeping tabs on him for a year now. Lyon, on the other hand, are looking at the Reims star as a possible replacement for Memphis Depay, who has been linked with Barcelona and PSG.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal do act on their reported interest in Dia once the January window opens. Although, the Gunners are likely to be better served by bringing in a playmaker who can replace Mesut Ozil and create opportunities for their current strikers like Aubameyang and Lacazette, who are proven, top-quality operators.
