Arsenal Transfer News: Joao Moutinho Hopes Raised by Monaco Exit Rumours

AS Monaco star Joao Moutinho will reportedly ask for a transfer away from the French club if they fail to qualify for this year's UEFA Champions League, fuelling speculation Arsenal could launch a bid for the Portugal international.

The Ligue 1 side suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Valencia during the first leg of their play-off, and if they fail to turn around the dire situation at home, it could mean the end of Moutinho's time with the club, per Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Metro's George Bellshaw).

Bellshaw claims Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is monitoring the situation, given the Gunners' persistent links to the playmaker.

The 28-year-old joined Monaco from FC Porto in 2013 amid much fanfare, as one of the many star players who moved to the luxury town during their spending spree.

The likes of James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao have since left the club, but Moutinho has stuck around, running the team's midfield and leading them to a shock win over Arsenal in the Champions League last season.

He suffered an injury earlier this month, and as reported by beIN Sports' Tancredi Palmeri, it only added to the list of concerns for Monaco heading into the tie with Valencia:

Monaco performed admirably at the Mestalla but still lost 3-1, and without the services of star midfielder Moutinho for the return leg, their chances of qualifying for this year's Champions League appear slim.

The club has already seen a number of key performers from last season leave the club during the summer, including Belgian starlet Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Geoffrey Kondogbia, two players who were vital in last year's triumph over the Gunners.

As reported by the Daily Mirror's Liam Prenderville, Wenger told reporters he expects more players to arrive before the end of the transfer window, although he immediately clarified the club isn't close to signing anyone in particular:

"

When the season starts the window should be finished. Simple as that. It is too big an advantage for clubs that didn’t work well during the transfer window.

The funds are there, people know that you have the resources, but the players are not available. We expect, like you, but at the moment, we are not close.

"

Given Arsenal's longstanding link with Moutinho, per Bellshaw, it's easy to see why this particular rumour is likely to catch steam in the coming days. But most of the reports regarding the Gunners' interest in Moutinho stem from back in 2013, and since then, Arsenal's need for an elite playmaker has all but vanished.

Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla form one of the top playmaking duos in all of football, with the former putting up very similar numbers to the Monaco man last season, per WhoScored.com. Cazorla's statistics easily blew those of Moutinho out of the water.

Entering the final days of the summer transfer window, Arsenal simply don't need another attacking midfielder, and while some additional depth is never a bad thing, Moutinho's likely price tag means it would make little sense for the Gunners to invest significant funds in someone who probably won't be a regular starter.

Similarly, it's hard to see Moutinho moving away from Monaco only to spend the next couple of years on the bench, and if he does make it clear he wishes to leave the club, there will be plenty of other suitors willing to guarantee him a starting position.

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