Arsenal have been linked with a January move for Moussa Sissoko, just days after the player confessed his love for the club.
The France international has been plying his trade in England with Newcastle United since January 2013, when they took him from Toulouse for a fee of around £7million as he entered the final year of his contract with the club. Since then he has established himself as one of the best midfield players in the Premier League, scoring seven times in 62 appearances for the Magpies.
Sissoko has, though, made no secret of his ambition to play on the biggest stage of all, namely the UEFA Champions League. This is something which even the most ardent Newcastle fan will admit doesn’t look likely to be on the agenda at St James’ Park anytime soon, but the 25-year-old has revealed he would like to experience the competition whilst wearing the colours of his favourite club.
“I have ambition,” the Les Bleus ace, who has 27 caps for his country, was quoted as saying just this weekend. “My goal is to play at the best clubs, playing the Champions League, win trophies, but today I am a Magpie and I am very happy. Arsenal were my favourite club when I was young and my idol was Patrick Vieira. I have always loved this club and I still love them.”
Perhaps after making such quotes it was always inevitable he would be linked with the Gunners, particularly this close to the winter window, and The Mirror claim Arsene Wenger is eyeing a £16million move for his signature. Yet on the other hand, he would seem to be a perfect fit for the Emirates Stadium side as not only can he play in an attacking role, but also a defensive midfield role.
This is a position many feel Wenger has not addressed since the departure of Vieira a decade ago. Abou Diaby, another Frenchman with huge potential, was the big hope for Arsenal, but he has been dogged with injuries and could leave when his contract expires in the summer. Mathieu Flamini, meanwhile, has failed to impress when given this role of late since his return from Milan.
Whether Wenger would be prepared to spend the vast majority of his budget on Sissoko this January is another matter altogether, when he has recently indicated that a centre-half is the top of his priority list. Tyrone Mings, the young Ipswich Town defender who has been operating at left fullback, has already been widely linked with a £10million move to the North London club.
Sissoko would be a great signing for Arsenal…wouldn’t he? Let us know what you think by joining in with the discussion below.
