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Chris Davison

Arsenal plan for very own Son Heung-min blueprint emerges as Edu begins £8.1m scouting mission

It's anticipated that the summer will be another busy one for Arsenal, with a host of names being linked with moves to north London.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure in January, along with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah's expiring contracts are likely to put the striker position at the top of the priority list.

Jose Mourinho's AS Roma are expected to come back in for Granit Xhaka, football.london understands, meaning central midfield will not be far behind.

Mikel Arteta will also be on the lookout for a new right-back who can provide even stronger competition for Takehiro Tomiyasu long-term, although Cedric Soares's decent run of form could change the Spaniard's mind.

Meanwhile, William Saliba's expected return from his loan spell at Marseille will hopefully begin a fresh chapter for him and the club despite the Ligue 1 giants showing strong interest in a permanent move.

However, uncertainty surrounding his future may have prompted Edu and his scouting team to prepare contingency plans in case a contingency plan is required.

Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepúlveda has reported in recent days that an Arsenal scout was present to monitor Fenerbahce defender Kim Min-jae during a clash with Trabzonspor.

The 25-year-old centre-back joined the Yellow Canaries from Chinese side BJ Guoan last summer for a fee believed to be around €3m (£2.4m).

A number of impressive performances this season have led to his Transfermarkt value rising to £8.1m and that is expected to increase ahead of the summer.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Kim possesses height and strength that would complement him with the kind of physical attributes required to succeed in the Premier League as we have seen with Tomiyasu, who has flourished in the full-back role.

Previously nicknamed 'The Monster', Kim is viewed as one of South Korea's biggest talents along with the likes of Tottenham's Son Heung-min and Wolves' Hwang Hee-Chan.

South Korean journalist Sungmo Lee has previously told football.london about the defender's qualities.

"Kim Min-jae is hailed as one of the best centre-backs South Korea has produced in the 21st century," he said.

"He has huge potential. He's big, strong, and fast. He's strong in the air, and also has good feet."

It is hoped that Arsenal will not even begin to countenance the permanent sale for Saliba and, instead, will focus on ensuring the Frenchman becomes a key player under Arteta next season.

Despite this, it's reassuring to know the club are planning for many scenarios that could unfold in the future.

Rob Holding has been linked with a move away due to lack of game time, while Pablo Mari also finds himself out of favour which his loan departure to Udinese confirmed.

Scouts from Tottenham, Chelsea, FC Porto and Juventus were also reportedly watching Kim in action at the weekend, so the Gunners would have to move fast if they want to secure his services.

Follow our Arsenal Fan Brands Writer Chris Davison on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below. Make sure you have subscribed to The Arsenal Way and the Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Arsenal content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.

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