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What's the story?
Arsenal will intend to make a come back in the English Premier League, after a tough last season which saw them fall haplessly to the 5th position and subsequently crash out of the UEFA Champions League and into the UEFA Europa League.
The Gunners are keen on reinforcing their squad and have relentlessly pursued Monaco's Thomas Lemar this summer window, but alas, to no avail. Monaco have already lost several of their title winning stars this window and seem unwilling to lose any more.
The game of hardball with Monaco has compelled Arsene Wenger to consider other alternatives, with Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi among the top targets, according to the Daily Express.
In case you didn't know...
Arsenal have reportedly been monitoring N'Zonzi throughout the summer and could swoop for him once the deadlock over Lemar is resolved. As things stand, Lemar will be staying at Monaco and Arsenal will table a bid for the Frenchman in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, N'Zonzi has officially handed in a transfer request to the Sevilla bosses and has categorically told them that he would like to leave the La Liga side this summer.
The heart of the matter
Arsene Wenger has made inroads this summer, having recruited Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon and Sead Kolasinac from Schalke. However, the manager is admittedly unsatisfied and is keen on procuring additional firepower, ahead of what promises to be an intense season.
With the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain still uncertain, Wenger is unwilling to take any chances.
While the manager has dismissed talks of Sanchez's departure, the same cannot be said of Chamberlain, who is closely being eyed by defending champions Chelsea.
The North London club would greatly benefit from the addition of a midfielder, and with the Lemar deal seemingly unlikely, Wenger could pounce for N'Zonzi, who comes with experience on English soil.
The defensive midfielder is a former Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City player, having made a total of 195 appearances in the English Premier League during his three-year spell at either club, before moving to Spain.
With the Premier League getting underway later tonight, Wenger will hope to land the Sevilla ace at the soonest and hope to make a positive start this season.
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Author's take
If Sanchez decides to stay, Arsenal will not be short of a formidable attack, and can shift their focus towards strengthening their defence.
N'Zonzi is a bullish midfielder and will form an extremely formidable partnership alongside Granit Xhaka, if he moves to Arsenal.
The addition of the experienced holding midfielder will ease the tension at the Emirates and send the fans into an excited frenzy, and perhaps, Arsenal back into contention for the coveted set of trophies up for grabs this season.
