Arsenal linked with summer swoop for Jordan Amavi

Arsenal have been named as one of a handful of club tracking Marseille left-back Jordan Amavi, alongside Crystal Palace and Napoli. The player is due to be out of contract at the end of the season and could therefore be available on a free transfer.

Formerly of Aston Villa, Amavi has been a key player for Marseille ever since he returned to France in 2017. He is now 26 and has developed and matured since his first spell in England, and is perhaps ready for a second shot at playing abroad.

Amavi is already able to freely negotiate with new clubs with a view to a pre-contract agreement because is has entered the final six months of his existing deal with Marseille.

According to L’Equipe, Crystal Palace and Napoli are both very interested. But Arsenal are also keeping an eye on the situation, although there has been no offer from the Gunners so far.

Amavi’s first spell in England was a time to forget. He joined Aston Villa in 2015 as part of a major recruitment drive at the club, but he was just 21 at the time and there were too many players in the squad who either lacked the experience or quality to play in the Premier League.

Amavi also saw that season ended by an ACL injury after only 10 league appearances. With Villa relegated, he later returned to fitness and played 34 times in the Championship.

In his debut year with Marseille, the left-back helped the club reach the Europa League final.

Arsenal have been buoyed by the improved form of Kieran Tierney at left-back this season following his difficult first year in north London. But while primarily a full-back, the Scotland international has also been used as a third centre-back at times and the Gunners otherwise lack depth on that side of the defence as a result of Sead Kolasinac returning to Schalke on loan.

Bukayo Saka can play as a left-back or wing-back, but he played there last season largely out of necessity and is much more effective further up the pitch. Since Christmas in particular he has carved himself out a role on the right wing and has scored several Premier League goals.

The future of Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has also become the subject of renewed speculation this week. It has been claimed that Paris Saint-Germain want the midfielder, currently on loan at Hertha Berlin after being frozen out by Mikel Arteta, in exchange for Julian Draxler.

However, Get French Football News has stated that such stories, which have gained traction in the UK media cited as ‘French reports’, are not real because the original reports don’t exist.

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