Trouble seems to be brewing at Arsenal as Daily Express suggests that Unai Emery and the club hierarchy are at loggerheads over the transfer of Sevilla midfielder, Steven N’Zonzi this summer.
The 29-year-old French midfielder has a release clause of £35m at the Andalusian outfit, though it is believed that not many people at the club are too sold on the idea of him strutting his stuff at the Emirates Stadium.
Emery managed the player at Sevilla and wants him to add more solidity to the midfield, though given the addition of new players at the club thus far, the board don’t see the signing of another defensive midfielder as a priority.
The club have already signed the pair of Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira; but N’Zonzi is the kind of player that is a physical specimen and will help The Gunners dominate matches in the middle of the park.
The board are operating on a budget after spending on the likes of Bernd Leno, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Sokratis Papastathopoulos as well as Torreira and Guendouzi.
Football London journalist Charles Watts said: “N’Zonzi is a player who Arsenal, and more specifically Emery, like. “The pair worked together at Sevilla and so Emery is well aware of his qualities. “But a move this summer is highly unlikely, given the transfer business that has already been done this summer.
“If Aaron Ramsey is sold, then Arsenal would look to bring in a new midfielder, but they would be looking for a more attacking player than the Frenchman.”
N’Zonzi is a defensive midfielder that is physically imposing and is also known for his calmness in possession. He has experienced playing in the Premier League before having played with Blackburn and Stoke City.