Arsenal have contacted Vitoria Guimaraes to tap into the possibility of having the services of defensive midfielder Ibrahima Bamba.
As per Sport Witness, Arsenal might have to pay Ibrahima Bamba’s full release clause if they are to avail of his service. The Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder has garnered enough interest among teams and the Gunners are lining up a move for the player.
The young midfielder has been one of the standout young players and has already had a growing list of admirers. The 20-year-old recently extended his stay in Portugal and a €30 million release clause has been inserted into his contract.
Arsenal have initiated contact with the club and have already told them to keep them in the loop if they decide to sanction a sale of the player. The lure of playing in the Premier League would be too hard to reject for the youngster who already has a host of interested clubs lurking around for his service.
Other European sides are also monitoring his progress and Vitoria are certain to sell the player but only for the right price. The defensive midfielder who can also use his stride in the heart of the backline is yet to receive a call-up from Italy but was invited by manager Roberto Mancini to participate in Italy’s training session.
Arsenal’s midfield needs some refurbishment as two of their central midfielders have entered the 30-year bracket while Thomas Partey’s persistent injury issues have made him a pretty shaky candidate for the long run.
The Gunners already have Albert Sambi Lokonga under their folds and the addition of Bamba would only enhance the depth of their squad. It remains to be seen whether Vitoria agree to negotiate the release clause as the North Londoners will be unwilling to fulfil their demand.
If a deal is to be done it could be executed in the summer as the Portuguese outfit would not be convinced to let the player leave in the midst of an ongoing campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s team is currently having a roller coaster ride having made an excellent start and the manager needs to ensure they don’t lose their way.
