Arsenal Transfer News: Henrikh Mkhitaryan Targeted by Tottenham, Latest Rumours

Arsenal will reportedly face competition from their local rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

That’s according to Paul Brown of the Daily Star, who wrote that the Armenia international is being considered a genuine target by Spurs, with manager Mauricio Pochettino said to be keen on signing a playmaker.

Arsenal, Juventus and Chelsea have also been linked to the player, but Brown added the latter are not in the race to sign him.

“Mkhitaryan was excellent in both legs as Dortmund beat Spurs 5-1 on aggregate in the last 16 [of the UEFA Europa League], and Pochettino has not forgotten,” Brown noted.

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The 27-year-old was one of the standout players in the Bundesliga last season, tormenting defences with his creative skills. Here is a look back at some of his best moments:

As reported by DW Sports’ Alex Chaffer, it has been claimed by Bild the playmaker has rejected the offer of a new contract with Dortmund, with his current deal set to expire at the end of next season. It means any side hoping to land the player could potentially get him for a bargain price this summer.

However, according to Bild (h/t Bleacher Report’s Clark Whitney) while his contract situation is a worrying one for BVB, it’s likely he’ll stay at the club until its end:

It’d be no surprise to see Spurs and Arsenal battling it out for the player. Given the manner in which Tottenham play under Pochettino, Mkhitaryan would be a brilliant fit. While he is calm and clever on the ball, he’s also a direct player when the situation demands and willing to work hard in a pressing system.

For Arsenal, he could add another exciting facet to their attacking play. At Dortmund last season Mkhitaryan regularly played in a role tucked in on the right-hand side, a position that manager Arsene Wenger has sought to shoehorn Aaron Ramsey into previously. The Armenian’s attacking skill would make him a big upgrade in this area.

N’Golo Kante Happy at Leicester City

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Leicester City midfielder N’Golo Kante has insisted he is content at the football club despite being linked with a move to Arsenal.

“For now, I am happy at Leicester," he told L’Equipe (h/t Coral Barry of the Metro). “I do not pay too much attention to everything that is said. For now, I am in Leicester and I focus on the Euros.”

Per Barry, the Gunners have been tipped as potential suitors for the player.

The box-to-box midfielder was the driving force behind the Foxes' memorable title triumph last term. Having arrived from Caen last summer, few expected Kante to have such a profound impact on the Premier League, but his playing style quickly saw him establish himself as one of the best midfielders in the division.

These numbers from Squawka Football sum up just how important the France international was to the Leicester cause:

Arsenal could certainly benefit from having a player like Kante in the side, as they’ve lacked defensive steel in the middle of the pitch for many years.

However, with Mohamed Elneny coming in January and Granit Xhaka signing from Borussia Monchengladbach recently, Wenger may feel he has enough in this area of the field moving forward.

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Leicester will surely do their utmost to keep the core of their title-winning squad intact. The likes of Kante, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were all given big chances to impress on the highest stage by the Foxes; they’ll be looking to these key men to take the club forward into the UEFA Champions League next season.