Brighton are claimed to be in the hunt to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, but should they be considered strong rivals for his signature?
The Gunners have been linked with the French Under-21 striker for at least 18 months, and with just 12 months remaining on his current playing deal, a move appears near-certain this summer.
While the Seagulls might not appear as though they should be considered strong rivals for his signature, they may have more going for them than some others.
Leicester were previously linked as leading the race to sign the striker, with Brendan Rodgers having been in charge of the Scottish giants when they signed him, initially giving him his chance at the senior level.
The Foxes interest may have to take a back-burner however, following Kelechi Iheanacho’s impressive form, which you would imagine would rule out the need to add another first-team option up front.
Arsenal similarly will need to either offload one of their current options in Alexandre Lacazette or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to be able to guarantee Edouard first-team football, which could open the door for Brighton to swoop in instead.
While the Premier League side may not appear as the big club you would expect could tempt Edouard to England, under Graham Potter they have an extremely organised side, and one worthy of considering, with first-team guarantees an important part of negotiation for them.
Will Brighton’s interest mean that Arsenal will need to speed up on their decision to try and sign Edouard?
Patrick