Arsenal handed major transfer boost as club not expected to compete for midfielder

Arsenal may reportedly have been handed a significant transfer boost in their rumoured pursuit of Rennes attacking midfielder Desire Doue this summer.

Doue has impressed in Ligue 1, showing himself to be the next big thing emerging in French football, and it makes sense that a host of top clubs are now showing an interest in him.

See below as journalist Abdellah Boulma recently posted on X to report on interest in Doue from the likes of Arsenal and other top clubs such as Manchester United, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, though it may now be that PSG are no longer prioritising the 18-year-old.

Le Stade Rennais se prépare à perdre Désiré Doué cet été. Pour s’attacher les services du prodige rennais, le PSG devra faire face à la concurrence de Manchester United Arsenal, Tottenham, Leverkusen, le Bayern et Dortmund ?

— Abdellah Boulma (@AbdellahBoulma) May 24, 2024

That’s according to a report from Le 10 Sport, who suggest that PSG are not currently working on this deal, despite what others have claimed.

With a big name competitor like that out of the way, it could be easier for Arsenal to win the race for Doue’s signature this summer, as the French youth international would surely choose to join the Gunners over the likes of Man Utd and Spurs at the moment as those latter two clubs no longer have Champions League football on offer.

Doue transfer: Arsenal could do with more attacking talent

Arsenal could do with bringing in a top young talent like Doue this summer, with Mikel Arteta lacking alternatives to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, the latter of whom was below-par for much of the season just gone.

AFC fans will surely be hoping to see more fire-power coming in up front this summer, but it remains to be seen if they’ll all view someone like Doue as the ideal signing.

Given how close Mikel Arteta’s side came to winning the Premier League title in 2023/24, it may be that a more experienced and clinical finisher is needed, instead of a young attacking midfielder who might be more of a signing for three or four years’ time, as talented as he may be.