Arsenal are reportedly in pole position to secure the services of Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi, who is also courted by Crystal Palace.
According to Todo Fichajes, Arsenal have stepped up their efforts to sign Jordan Amavi in the ongoing January transfer window. The Gunners are already in advanced talks with the representatives of the Marseille defender, whose contract at the club expires at the end of the campaign.
Amavi, however, does not want to make any decisions regarding his future until the end of the season when he will be available as a free agent. The left-back is also courted by Arsenal’s London rivals Crystal Palace while Serie A giants Napoli have expressed interest to secure his services as well.
It might not bode well for Mikel Arteta, who is eyeing immediate reinforcements in the left-back unit following the departure of Sead Kolasinac. The Bosnian international has returned to FC Schalke on loan, joining Sokratis and Mesut Ozil on their way out of the Emirates this month.
Arsenal, as a result, have been able to target multiple players, with Mat Ryan and Martin Odegaard becoming the first two players to arrive at the club in the January transfer window. Amavi may well have been the third as Arteta looks for a replacement for Kolasinac.
It appears the Spaniard is worried about the injury-prone nature of his first-choice left-back in Kieran Tierney. And although he does have the option of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, the Englishman does not feel all too comfortable in that position. Hence, it was not a surprise to see Cedric Soares deputising for Tierney in the past couple of matches.
The Portuguese international did an excellent job in the recent win over Southampton. But, one could argue that he does not bring enough quality that could be necessary in order to do well in the Europa League during the second half of the campaign.
The Gunners have already been knocked out of the FA Cup, meaning the European competitions remains their only way to qualify for Europe next season in case they once again finish outside the top seven in the Premier League this term.
Someone like Amavi, in that regard, could have been an ideal cut-price alternative for Tierney. The Frenchman has already played in England with Aston Villa and has a considerable amount of experience at the highest level of football.
It will be interesting to see whether his likely decision to remain at Marseille until the end of the season, forces Arsenal to shift their attention towards other targets this January. Ryan Bertrand and Tyrick Mitchell are among the players listed as potential alternatives for the north London giants.
