Arsenal have made Club Brugge midfielder Odilon Kossounou one of their top targets for the summer.
The 20-year-old Ivorian is one of the rising stars of African football.
His impressive form this season has been a factor in his side’s climb to the summit of the Belgian top flight and their performances in the Europa League.
Kossounou would cost around £8.5million with performance-related add-ons.
Italian giants Inter Milan are also keen on the player - but have financial issues with regards their Chinese owners, the Suning Group - and there is interest in him from Spain.
But playing in the Premier League is an attractive prospect for the player.
He joined Brugge from Swedish side Hammarby, having started his career with Asec Mimosas in his homeland.
Former Arsenal stars Gervinho and Emmanuel Eboue are both understood to have given the club glowing references for Kossounou when asked about him.
Central midfield remains an area that Arteta is looking at ahead of the summer, with Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard's loan deals from Real Madrid both up.
While the Gunners would like to keep both at the Emirates, there is no guarantee that they will be able to do a deal for either player.
As such, they're continuing to keep tab on a number of potential options around Europe.
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