Arsenal have lined up AS Monaco’s Youssouf Fofana as an alternative to West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
Rice is one of the most in-demand English players right now, with Manchester City looking to rival the Gunners for his signature. On Monday, the Treble winners lodged an official bid for the West Ham United captain, who is also on the radar of Manchester United.
Arsenal have had two bids rejected for Rice as West Ham look determined to fetch north of £100 million. And as the north London club are in danger of missing out on Mikel Arteta’s top target, they have started exploring potential options. According to French outlet L’Equipe, Arsenal have set their sights on AS Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana.
The situation in Monaco is grim at the moment – they remain without a manager and could see several players depart the club this summer. One of those players is Fofana, 24, who the Ligue 1 club value at around the £30 million mark.
Youssouf Fofana to Arsenal – A good alternative to Declan Rice?
Arsenal made great progress last season as they competed with Manchester City for the Premier League title. While they ended up short, finishing second and qualifying for the Champions League after seven years is something Mikel Arteta will want to build upon next term.
Arteta has made the signing of a central midfielder one of his main priorities this summer transfer window, with both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey linked with exits. Declan Rice is Arteta’s primary midfield target. But Manchester City’s entry into the equation has made the situation complicated. So, it’s not a surprise that the Gunners have shifted their attention to potential alternative targets.
Youssouf Fofana, who is also on West Ham’s radar, has emerged as a target. Fofana has been a mainstay for Monaco over the last season, racking up 47 games across all competitions.
🚨 Youssouf Fofana has now been linked twice to Arsenal today. First by @lequipe, now by @SamiMokbel81_DM. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/HjsmHqBYtn
— Eduardo Hagn (@EduardoHagn) June 26, 2023
The defensive midfielder was part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad, starting in the semi-final win over Morocco and making an appearance off the bench in the final against Argentina.
Fofana is valued at £30 million by Monaco this summer. Arsenal certainly have the finances to get the deal done and the talented midfielder is likely to be tempted to join them as well.
Of course, he might not be in the same poise and class as Rice just yet, but he is a player of high quality and should come in three times cheaper than the West Ham star. He averaged impressive defensive stats of 2.3 tackles and 1.6 interceptions (stats via Whoscored) per game in the Ligue 1. Rice had similar numbers for West Ham, albeit in a league that boasts higher quality.
At 24, the French international is at a good age and would improve Arsenal’s midfield unit. So, the Gunners need to quickly end the Rice saga and complete a move for Fofana before other clubs start circling.