Arsenal will be forced to pay out £35 million for Newcastle United midfielder Moussa Sissoko, per Damian Spellman of the Evening Standard.

The agile France international produced a terrific performance in the final of the UEFA Euro 2016 final on Sunday but was unable to lead his country to glory. 

The 26-year-old, who joined the north-east club in January 2013 from Toulouse, has been linked with a move away from St. James’ Park following their relegation from the Premier League. 

The Frenchman has previously voiced his eagerness to secure UEFA Champions League football. A Press Association article relayed what Sissoko told Foot Mercado in June (h/t the Guardian):

I gave everything there for three-and-a-half years. I hope that today [Newcastle] will be smart enough to understand that to continue my development I need to keep playing at the highest level. As I want to stay in the France team I could not stay in the Championship. There will be discussions. I hope they will go in my opinion. I want to leave.

According to Spellman, Newcastle chairman Mike Ashley is under no pressure to sell despite the club’s demise into the second tier. The business tycoon is expected to demand a fee worth around the same figure they received from the sale of Andy Carroll in 2011.

Newcastle fans were undoubtedly frustrated to see Sissoko produce a display of such high quality in the Euros final following a season of inconsistency. 

Arsenal have a host of attacking options to chose from, but the dynamism, directness and charging runs from deep will offer Gunners boss Arsene Wenger a variety.

Elsewhere, Inter Milan will sell transfer target Mauro Icardi based on what his wife and agent, Wanda Nara, told Italian website Calciomercato.com (h/t Marc Williams of the Daily Star). 

As far as I can see, Inter want to sell him. Many clubs are interested; we will make an evaluation together. Mauro would like to stay, but we understand the situation of the club, which, evidently, can’t afford to keep Icardi. There is no release clause, so let’s hope that they will ask for a reasonable transfer fee.

The Inter striker has frequently been linked with a move away from the San Siro club in recent months following a number of impressive games for the Nerazzurri. The club’s main attacking threat is key to Inter’s hopes for success next season but could be set to leave. 

The £32 million-rated Argentinian, who won his only senior international cap in 2013, scored 16 goals in 33 Serie A appearances last term, per WhoScored.com. 

Olivier Giroud has been unable to score the goals to fire Arsenal to the Premier League title in recent years, and Icardi would provide the French striker with competition for a starting berth. 

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