Arsenal are now reportedly pushing to sign 23-year-old who Paul Pogba once called ‘extraordinary’

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Arsenal have been linked with an ambitious move for Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni, a player who Paul Pogba once called ‘extraordinary’.

Mikel Arteta looks set to bolster his squad significantly over the coming days as Arsenal close in on deals to sign Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber.

The Gunners have already snapped up Kai Havertz from Chelsea as Arteta goes about re-shaping his midfield.

Of course, Arsenal are likely to focus on outgoings over the coming weeks, with Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka both heavily linked with moves away from the club. 

And it seems the Gunners are pushing to try and land a statement signing in Aurelien Tchouameni.

Indeed, Spanish outlet Defensa Central claims Tchouameni has now become Arteta’s ‘priority’ in the transfer market.

Arsenal were initially willing to offer around €80m [£68.7m] to land the 23-year-old. But they could now increase their offer to €90m [£77.3m].

Tchouameni has struggled to nail down a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s side since making the switch from Monaco last year.

The midfielder was widely viewed as one of the best young prospects in world football just this time last year. 

And former Manchester United star Paul Pogba certainly agrees with that sentiment.

Pogba on Tchouameni

Pogba waxed lyrical about Tchouameni back in 2021 and claimed his international teammate boasts ‘extraordinary physicality’.

“He’s not a boy, he’s a man,” he said of Tchouameni. “It’s a pleasure to play next to him, he provides a lot… plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality.

“I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side.” as quoted by the Manchester Evening News. 

Of course, Tchouameni’s development has stagnated slightly over the past year as he’s struggled to play at Madrid. 

He’s had to compete with the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga for a place in the Madrid side.

It would be a huge surprise to see Arsenal push the boat out for Tchouameni given how much they already look set to spend this summer.

Should the deals for Rice and Timber go through as expected, that will take their summer spending to over £200 million.

Tchouameni only made the switch to Madrid a year ago for a fee worth around £85 million, so it would take a huge offer Arsenal to tempt the La Liga giants into selling.