Transfer Rumor: Arsenal show interest in Sevilla want-away N’Zonzi

According to various sources, Arsenal are sniffing around Sevilla again for another midfielder, this time French international Steven N’Zonzi. Another former Unai Emery player, the defensive midfielder has indicated is urge to leave the Spanish club this summer. Sevilla has previously said ‘meet the release clause and he’s yours’, which currently stands at £35 million, so the deal now is primed to happen. If Arsenal wants, of course.

N’Zonzi has been a solid fixture at Sevilla, putting in 136 appearances for the club. Whether he sees his time there dwindling or not, he seems intent on making a move back to the Premier League, where he has played for Blackburn Rovers and, ugh, Stoke City.

With Arsenal set to welcome Lucas Torreira to the club once he his World Cup campaign is over with Uruguay, negotiations on-going with Aaron Ramsey and an already full midfield, it seems odd that Arsenal seem hell bent on adding another option. But, having previously targeted Éver Banega from Sevilla, it seems Emery is determined to overload his options. Coupled with rumours around Barcelona’s Andres Gomez, it becomes unclear how everyone would fit into Arsenal’s midfield without more departures beyond Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla, casting doubt on the veracity of Arsenal’s interest.

In the end, this might be a bit of deflection by Sevilla. Arsenal’s keen interest in Banega is being met with strong resistance while N’Zonzi has been available at the set price for a month. It remains unlikely that Arsenal would be chasing another defensive midfielder but that’s how the transfer circus goes. Perhaps, should Emery not yield, N’Zonzi will don the Arsenal shirt after all.

Now if only they could get that Stoke smell off.