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Geoffrey Kondogbia the Only Logical Arsenal Transfer Rumor

By Josh Sippie

By LauraHale (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By LauraHale (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons /
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Arsenal are linked to a host of players, as it is every year, but as is also the case every year, Arsene Wenger has given us very little hint as to who he may be pursuing. Some players linked to Arsenal have said themselves that they are not going to move to North London. Some agents have downplayed a move, insisting that the player is staying put. In other cases, officials at linked clubs have placed an unreachable price tag on a target.

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But through it all, the one transfer rumor that you can look at and acknowledge how much sense it makes and how little resistance there has been is the transfer rumor linking Geoffrey Kondogbia to Arsenal.

Geoffrey Kondogbia is a young, versatile French midfielder that plays for Arsene Wenger’s old club, Monaco. In that sentence, you will find five proponents to this deal being a realistic option.First of all, at 22 years of age, Kondogbia is young and can go through the process of being molded in Wenger’s image. He is versatile as he can play deep due to his physicality and stature but can also push play forward with his exceptional dribbling and passing.

He is also French, which would appeal to Le Prof and he is a midfielder, a position that could use a little extra depth. The fact that he is so versatile adds to his value as a depth signing.

Not only that, but Geoffrey Kondogbia is not a player who would be itching for immediate starting XI inclusion. While he has shown tremendous promise, he still has to earn his spot. So whereas guys like Arturo Vidal and Grzegorz Krychowiak would rightfully expect to be immediately inserted into the starting XI, Geoffrey Kondogbia is still young and would understand a need to train with the team awhile first. That is something that has to be front-lining the possibility of this transfer.

Geoffrey Kondogbia was part of the Monaco squad that ousted Arsenal from the Champion’s League and the Frenchman was responsible for one of the goals as well. Though it did take a deflection, it was a rocketed effort that displayed his willingness to shoot from distance, although goals have never been high on his resume.

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Geoffrey Kondogbia would also offer another viable aerial threat from set pieces, as his 6’2″ frame would be a welcome addition to a rather short Arsenal squad.

The Mirror reports that Arsene Wenger is already in talks with his countryman and despite being tied to AC Milan, Tottenham and Real Madrid as well, Arsenal appear the most likely and most reasonable landing place. While Monaco have set a somewhat steep price tag of 25 million pounds (according to the Metro), AC Milan’s initial bid was reported at only 14.3 million, a price that Arsenal would be more than willing to match.

It is a little worrisome that amidst Manchester United, Chelsea and all of our other spendthrift rivals making signings before the window even officially opens, Arsenal can find only one realistic transfer link. Arsene Wenger is usually very good at holding his cards close to his chest, however, so we will just have to wait and see what he has in store.

Next: Arsenal Must Embrace Jack Wilshere

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