Arsenal have made a £25.7 million bid for Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, according to Calciomercato (h/t Jamie Sanderson of the Metro).

Sanderson claims Inter Milan are also interested in the French destroyer but that the Gunners are “close” to confirming a deal.

Kondogbia is a physical specimen and someone who could offer vital cover in defensive midfield for Arsenal. He dominated during the French side’s Champions League trip to the Emirates Stadium in February, scoring a vital goal as Monaco eventually progressed via away goals after two legs.

The 22-year-old offers assurance on the ball and the ability to win possession back. He averaged 3.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions across 31 appearances in Ligue 1 and the Champions League last season, maintaining a pass accuracy of 85.7 percent along the way, per WhoScored.com.

Francis Coquelin‘s emergence at Arsenal suggests the need for a combative midfielder isn’t as prominent as it once was, but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger must find quality cover.

Coquelin underlined his importance with a masterclass performance during the recent FA Cup final win over Aston Villa.

However, the 24-year-old needs competition to keep him progressing and to ensure his absence doesn’t disrupt the team. Neither Mikel Arteta nor Mathieu Flamini—two players Wenger has deployed in a combative midfield role—has the presence to dominate against the best.

Kondogbia‘s qualities can be seen below:

Southampton midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama are also linked to the club, as Bruce Archer of the Express and Alex Crook of the Daily Star, respectively, report. Schneiderlin recently posted a cryptic message on Instagram:

Crook reports that Wanyama has admitted he wants to join the north London club on Kenyan television. “It would be nice to move to Arsenal,” Wanyama allegedly said. “But at this moment such decisions can only be made by Southampton and that is where my concentration as a player is.”

Arsenal are also touted to move for Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca, as A Bola reports (h/t Tom Olver of the Metro).

Olver indicates Manchester United are “desperate” to confirm his signing for around £21.3 million after letting Radamel Falcao return to Monaco, meaning Arsenal “may have a fight on their hands.”

Bacca recently scored two in the Europa League final and racked up 20 La Liga strikes during a successful season with Unai Emery’s side. He is capable of playing on the last defender’s shoulder or as a holdup man, a combination of qualities Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud currently offer at Arsenal.

B/R UK’s Andy Brassell recently discussed other potential signings Arsenal could turn to:

Wenger‘s need for a defensive midfielder is likely to dominate the Gunners’ transfer window despite Coquelin‘s run of form in the first team.

Cramming the squad with quality, developing stars should ensure progress after a successful season that saw Arsenal finish third in the Premier League and retain the FA Cup.

Arsenal must consider Kondogbia after a quality campaign of his own, one that his performance in north London earlier this year underlined.

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