Back in July 2021, Leicester announced the signing of Boubakary Soumare in a £17m deal from Lille, beating Arsenal to his signature.
Some Arsenal fans described it as “another Kante moment” after also missing out on the Chelsea gem to Leicester back in 2015.
The Gunners were interested in signing Soumare, and there was some shock when Leicester secured his services – at the time, it was seen as a real coup.
Now, however, things have gone sour.
What’s the story?
Well, less than 12 months after bringing him to the King Power Stadium, Brendan Rodgers has now decided to sell Soumare.
That is according to the Telegraph, who believe both Jannik Vestergaard and the Frenchman have been told they can leave.
It comes after Soumare made 30 appearances in all competitions for Leicester this season, although he has only made 12 starts in the Premier League.
Interestingly, Rodgers didn’t even name the 23-year-old in his matchday squad for the final four Premier League games of the season.
Now, Soumare’s future has been clouded in uncertainty.
Arsenal should make another move for Boubakary Soumare
In our view, Arsenal should test the waters at Leicester and make a small bid for Soumare, in the region of £15m or so.
We’re not quite sure what has gone wrong for him in the Midlands, although before his move to England, the Frenchman was one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe.
Some even described Soumare as the new Paul Pogba.
Usually, we wouldn’t suggest this, as it comes with risks – after all, you may be wondering why we think he’s good enough for Arsenal, but not good enough for Leicester.
However, Mikel Arteta isn’t blessed with many midfield options – that much was evident when Mohamed Elneny was handed a new contract.
Therefore, a cheap deal for Soumare could actually be a masterstroke. It would add depth to Arsenal’s midfield, while he also has plenty of time to improve at the age of just 23.
Keep an eye on Soumare this summer, as anything could happen.
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