Arsenal given green light to sanction £43m summer transfer as personal terms 'agreed'

Arsenal are in the market for a midfielder this summer and Mikel Arteta has been told one France international could be a perfect addition

Arsenal have been told transfer target Manu Kone "has the tools" to be a success in the Premier League.

The Gunners want to sign a new midfielder during the summer transfer window, football.london understands, and it's been reported that Kone is one of the players they are tracking. The 25-year-old currently plies his trade in Italy with Roma, where he helped the club finish third in Serie A last season.

The midfielder is currently at the World Cup with France and has impressed thus far, starting in wins over Iraq and Norway in the group stage and more recently the 1-0 victory against Paraguay in the round of 16. The midfielder has completed 93 per cent of his attempted passes at the tournament and has shown he is not afraid to shoot from range, attempting five shots with two of those testing the goalkeeper.

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Former France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra believes Arsenal would be an ideal destination for Kone should he leave Roma this summer. Speaking to Stake , Evra said: "I like Manu Kone's profile for the Premier League. He has energy, he carries the ball, he likes duels and he works for the team. Those things matter in England.

"The Premier League is faster. You don't get time to breathe. So the important thing is adaptation. Don't judge him after five games.

"If he goes to Arsenal with a manager who knows how to use him, I think he can do well. He has the tools. Then it is about consistency."

According to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Arsenal have already held talks with the midfielder's representatives and agreed personal terms over a move after the World Cup. The next step is to negotiate a fee with Roma, who value him at £43million.

However, the report adds that the Italian side could accept a £39m (€45m) fee, with Roma understood to need to sell players, which could help facilitate a deal.

Kone, though, is not currently thinking about his future. He told Gazzetta dello Sport : "Honestly, right now I’m only thinking about the World Cup. It’s my first major international competition, a tournament I’ve always dreamed of playing in.

"I want to remain exclusively focused on this. We’ll talk about the future after the World Cup and see what happens."

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