Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham were linked to the Africa Cup of Nations ace in the past few months but the Gunners are now reportedly keen.
One-time reported Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United target Keita Balde has emerged as a transfer target for fellow Premier League side Arsenal, according to a report from French outlet Le 10 Sport.
Balde spent last season on loan with Inter Milan, but scored just five goals in 24 appearances in Serie A, and the report claims that the Senegal international – currently at the Africa Cup of Nations (The Sun) – does not want to remain at the Ligue 1 club following the end of his San Siro loan stint.
In November last year, Tuttomercatoweb issued two separate reports, the first linking Balde to Wolves and the second deeming West Ham to have also had an interest in the player, who is contracted to Monaco until the summer of 2022 (Transfermarkt).
Should they still hold an interest in the former Barcelona and Lazio ace, they would reportedly have to compete with the Gunners, who are said to be monitoring him as Unai Emery seeks to bolster his team’s flanks this summer.
The Le 10 Sport report mentions a fee of 34million Euros (around £30.5million), and although Balde did not have the best time at either Inter or Monaco, his time at Lazio yielded 31 goals and 26 assists in 137 appearances (Transfermarkt), testament to his talent and prowess as an attacking force.
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