Arsenal to pursue Evan N’Dicka transfer as Yves Bissouma request made during talks

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Arsenal have held talks with the entourage of Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan N’Dicka over a summer move and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma has also been the subject of several lines of enquiry from the Gunners. The France U21 international, who was signed from Auxerre for £4.7million in 2018, has been developing at a frightening rate in the past 18 months under boss Adi Hutter.

N’Dicka was an unused substitute as Arsenal ran riot with a 3-0 win at Commerzbank-Arena in the Europa League group stages in September 2019.

Since then he has become a mainstay in the team and is currently thriving on the left-side of a back three, with Eintracht now pushing for a top-four finish in the Bundesliga largely thanks to the goals of Andre Silva.

Mikel Arteta is planning a defensive restructure in the summer with Callum Chambers set to follow Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi out the door.

A commanding presence at the back is now on the agenda and Express Sport understands that talks have already been held with N’Dicka’s representatives.

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They are now leading the race for his signature and could conclude a deal for around £19m when the transfer window opens.

Crucially, Arsenal have a strong professional relationship with his agent Michael N’Cho Ibou, who helped broker Nicolas Pepe’s club-record £72m move from Lille to north London in 2019.

The two parties have remained in contact ever since and N’Cho also has another player on his books that is of interest to technical director Edu and Arteta.

Express Sport can reveal that Arsenal have asked to be kept informed of Bissouma’s situation heading into the transfer window.

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The Mali international has been exceptional for Brighton this term and looks set to earn a big move away from the Amex before next season.

It’s understood that Bissouma does not have a relegation clause written into his contract, something that may have come into effect should Brighton fail to beat the drop.

Graham Potter’s side are currently living dangerously but will be able to demand a premium fee, even if they are playing Championship football next season.

With hopes of European qualification fading in the Premier League, Arsenal are now gunning for Europa League glory.

Winning the tournament would secure the return of Champions League football at the Emirates and therefore bolster their summer transfer kitty.

Arteta will have to clear the decks once again in order to raise funds to spend, with Hector Bellerin among those who could leave the club.

Should he end his 10-year spell with the Gunners, Arsenal will look to target another Brighton star in the form of Tariq Lamptey.

The 20-year-old recently signed a new contract with the Seagulls that does not include a release or relegation clause.

Lamptey is set to undergo another operation on his hamstring with his season now over. Chelsea have a 20 per cent sell-on clause but possess no option to re-sign their former academy graduate.

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