Arsenal target Ibrahima Bamba’s agent speaks out after London trip

Arteta hopes for FA Cup win to give Arsenal boost in title race

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Ibrahima Bamba’s agent has spoken out on his recent trip to London amid reports that Arsenal are closing in on a transfer deal for the Vitoria Guimaraes youngster. Manager Mikel Arteta has already acknowledged that midfield could be a problem area for the remainder of the campaign following an injury to Mohamed Elneny.

The Gunners have moved to add depth this month with Leandro Trossard coming in to boost Arteta’s wide options and Jakub Kiwior providing an extra body at the back. Arsenal have a settled starting XI but reinforcements could come into play if injuries threaten their Premier League title push. 

Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard are an in-form midfield trio but the drop-off in quality, should one of them be sidelined, has been made even worse by Elneny’s injury, which could keep him out for the rest of the season. 

West Ham captain Declan Rice and Brighton starlet Moises Caicedo are both thought to be on Arsenal’s radar but each would come with a monstrous price tag. 

Earlier this week, reports from Portugal indicated that a move for Bamba could be imminent with his agent, Filipe Macedo Alves, taking a trip to London. However, Alves refused to acknowledge that his presence in the capital was solely to negotiate a deal with Arsenal. 

“It’s true that I was in London, but I am just arriving from Germany, where I was watching [Edmond] Tapsoba’s game,” he told Portuguese outlet O Jogo. “Bamba is not the only player I work with.

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“He’s a player profile that is clearly of interest to many clubs, but today he is a Vitoria player and is only focused on Monday’s game in Chaves. The market is open, but I’m not going to feed rumours.”

Bamba signed a contract containing a £26million release clause with Vitoria Guimaraes 12 months ago and the Portuguese outfit are under no pressure to sell for less, with the deal set to run until 2025. The 20-year-old’s versatility may appeal to Arteta as he has appeared frequently in a back-three this term, although he made his breakthrough as a defensive midfielder. 

With Elneny out injured, Albert Sambi Lokonga is the Gunners’ only defensive-minded option to call on in midfield should one of their starting trio suffer a knock. The 23-year-old has struggled to make his mark in north London with just two Premier League starts to his name this campaign. 

Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand on Manchester City – their nearest challengers. Arteta is set to face his old boss, Pep Guardiola, when the two sides come together in the FA Cup on Friday evening. 

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