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Arsenal receive great transfer news

By Rucker Haringey

PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 28: Corentin Tolisso of France during the international friendly match between France and Spain between France and Spain at Stade de France on March 28, 2017 in Saint-Denis near Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - MARCH 28: Corentin Tolisso of France during the international friendly match between France and Spain between France and Spain at Stade de France on March 28, 2017 in Saint-Denis near Paris, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal lead the transfer race for a talented Frenchman

Arsenal are a club in desperate need of good news. Predictably, they’ve received some positive transfer information from France to lift their spirits. The Gunners surprisingly lead the race for Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

I say surprisingly because of all the uncertainty swirling around The Emirates at the moment. In case you haven’t heard, there’s a minor debate over whether or not Arsene Wenger should remain the club’s manager moving forward. The putrid performances of the squad haven’t helped the French gaffer’s case.

Still, reports from France via the Metro claim that Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso still wants to join the North London club. The news is even more surprising because of the interest in Tolisso from other large clubs like Juventus and Barcelona. The idea that he’s willing to play for Arsenal despite their current situation is one thing. The concept of him snubbing The Old Lady and Barcelona at the same time is quite another.

Tolisso has found the back of the net 11 times this year for Lyon. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.25 illustrates just how good he’s been for his Ligue 1 club. That’s certainly the type of performance that bodes well for a smooth transition to English football.

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Despite Tolisso’s current wishes, it’s hard to see his representatives actually allowing him to move to Arsenal without significant discussions. He should be looking for long-term security if he’s going to make such a massive move. Jumping from Lyon to the Gunners isn’t going to help his career if he isn’t 100% sure who his manager is going to be.

You have to wonder if Wenger will use the Tolisso news as a quiver in his arrow of reasons to stay with the Gunners for another season or two. Clearly he hasn’t lost his influence in France. Wenger could try to make the case that he can remake the Gunners roster by going back to his native country for support. In fairness, it wouldn’t be the first time Wenger tried to rely on French players to travel up the Premier League table.

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Things may not be good at Arsenal right now, but with the right transfer moves the Gunners could certainly improve next season. Signing Corentin Tolisso would certainly be a step in the right direction.

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