Arsenal have reportedly identified another Lyon midfielder as a potential replacement for Granit Xhaka. Arsenal are expected to receive interest for Xhaka again at the end of the season. The Swiss international came close to joining Roma last summer but the Serie A side have not offered the fee demanded by the Gunners.

It wasn’t the first time that Xhaka was set to leave the Emirates.

In January 2020, Hertha Berlin were close to signing the midfielder.

Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay but he continued to be heavily criticized by many club supporters.

Arteta has shown interest in a number of midfielders over the past 18 months as he tries to bring in the right players to implement a 4-3-3 formation.

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There was interest in two Lyon players around this time.

Houssem Aouar, who is still at the Ligue 1 club, was a prime target in the summer of 2020.

However, Arsenal opted to activate Thomas Partey’s release clause instead.

Bruno Guimaraes had also been linked with a move to north London, with technical director Edu a longtime admirer, before joining Newcastle in January.

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Arsenal would be a more attractive proposition for the Brazilian if they qualify for the Champions League next season.

They currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, one point ahead of Manchester United with three games less.

Arteta admitted last week that he will look to strengthen his squad this summer.

“Now is the time to increase the quality,” said the Spaniard.

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