9 months ago
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Brighton have stolen a march on Arsenal in the race to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City.
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The 25-year-old midfielder has been a mainstay of the Foxes side which has recovered from the blow of Premier League relegation to mount a challenge for an instant return to the top flight.
Enzo Maresca would be loathed to lose one of his most important players at this stage of the season but the Seagulls could be willing to match Leicester’s £30m valuation.
Arsenal are also understood to admire Dewsbury-Hall, while Brentford have registered serious interest, according to The Athletic.
The promise of European football, however, is likely to sway the player’s decision should Leicester reluctantly accept an offer they deem to be acceptable.
Fulham, too, have been monitoring Dewsbury-Hall’s situation but Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton are the clear frontrunners at this stage.
It appears increasingly likely, meanwhile, that Arsenal will keep their spending powder dry until the summer, given their concerns over contravening FFP regulations.
A new striker will represent a priority for Mikel Arteta who has both Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney firmly on his radar.
Reinforcing his midfield engine room will also be high on the agenda with doubts surrounding the futures of Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny.
Ghana international Partey has, at least, returned to full first team training having been out of action since mid-October.
Partey had been heavily linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League in the summer having lost his place to club-record signing Declan Rice.
Indeed, the former West Ham skipper’s arrival saw Partey begin the season as an auxiliary right-back.
His return to fitness, however, is well-timed with the Gunners facing a series of fixtures that are likely to define their chances of winning the Premier League title, starting with a testing trip to Nottingham Forest in midweek.
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