Arsenal are holding talks with PSG target who has also spoken to Arteta

Arsenal have held talks with the Paris-Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid target, who also spoke to manager Mikel Arteta last year.

Midfielders targeted by Arsenal this summer

The North Londoners are looking for a replacement for Thomas Partey, and the Ghanaian is expected to leave when the transfer window reopens on June 14.

Arsenal are open to selling Partey amid interest from abroad, with the midfielder entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Hale End and coming off the back of an injury-riddled season – in which he made just 14 Premier League appearances.

Sporting director Edu Gaspar, who recently admitted he has been working on a summer transfer since January (Estadao via football.london), has been linked with other Partey engine room options.

Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes, Everton's Amadou Onana, Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz have all emerged as midfielders Arsenal are targeting this summer, according to various reports over the past few months.

Most of the names mentioned above are likely to cost upwards of £50 million to award to their current clubs, and double that amount in the case of Guimaraes. With Arsenal looking to sign new striker Arteta up front, Edu will have to analyze his next move carefully, as the north Londoners will have plenty to spend this summer.

A possible price for Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana. The Frenchman is out of contract next summer and reports suggest he would be worth as little as £26 million to any interested parties.

Both Fofana and Arteta were spotted chatting at the Emirates last year, when Monaco played Arsenal in a friendly. Fabrizio Romano also said this week that Fofana is expected to leave Monaco this summer as there is still noise to seek his help.

“Youssouf Fofana is not even discussing a new contract with Monaco and the expectations of those close to this player, and Monaco's expectation is that Youssouf Fofana will leave the team this summer. So Youssouf Fofana can really leave the team,” said Romano on his YouTube channel.

“What will happen? There is interest from Italy, there is interest from England, there is interest from Germany, so several clubs are looking at Fofana. There is movement in him, look closely at this player, it could be one of the surprises of the summer transfer window.”

Arsenal are holding talks with Fofana about joining him this summer

According to French newspaper L'Equipe, via GFFN, Arsenal have held talks with Fofana through their representatives, but face competition from Paris-Saint Germain and Diego Simeone's Atletico – who have also done the same.

The “very good“The 25-year-old made 32 Ligue 1 appearances alone last season, scoring four goals and providing four assists for Monaco as a key player in their engine room.