Mikel Arteta and Luis Enrique (Photo: Justin Setterfield, Franco Arlando/Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly considering a possible move for their recent Champions League final opponents Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners lost on penalties to PSG in Budapest last week, but Le Parisien reports that manager Mikel Arteta is looking to pounce on the Ligue 1 giants with the signing of promising youngster Emmanuel Mbemba.
According to the report, Arsenal have already made an offer to Mbemba, with fellow Ligue 1 side Paris FC also named as potential suitors.
Mbemba is a highly regarded young left-back who captains PSG’s Under-18 team and appears to have a big future ahead of him.
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Arsenal will now hope to persuade him to swap Paris for London for the next stage of his development, and one imagines that would be an attractive offer.
Will Emmanuel Mbemba leave PSG and join Arsenal?
PSG often rely on big-money signings to launch projects, and it will continue to be difficult for homegrown talent like Mbemba to break into the first team.
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Arsenal, on the other hand, could be a good option for the 18-year-old. He will likely be watching William Saliba’s growth and rise since moving to the Emirates Stadium as a youngster.
Saliba had to wait a while to become a regular at Arsenal, but after three loan spells he finally broke into Arteta’s squad and is now one of the team’s most important players.
One hurdle in Emmanuel Mbemba’s transfer saga
However, there are complications with Mbemba’s transfer, with Le Parisien reporting that he is not currently eligible for a work permit.
This means AFC may have to loan players out before joining the first team, and this is likely to be a long-term deal rather than a player who joins and makes an immediate impact.
