3 Ligue 1 targets that could follow Tolisso to Arsenal this summer

Arsenal are set for a major overhaul this summer in the transfer market that could see a wealth of talented players vacate North London, as question marks on the futures of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lucas Perez, Jack Wilshere and others remain.

The Gunners will be active to replace any players that leave the Emirates Stadium though, and will seek to strengthen their squad in any case, and Arsene Wenger could look towards French football for targets yet again.

Arsenal have a strong history of boasting top-class French talent at the club with their ranks currently boasting the likes of Francis Coquelin, Laurent Koscielny and Olivier Giroud, whilst previous representatives from Wenger’s home nation include Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.

On target from French football linked with a summer transfer to Arsenal is Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who can also play at right-back, but the Gunners will face rival interest from Barcelona in the 22-year-old.

Should Arsenal emerge victorious in their push for Tolisso’s signature though, they could bring other targets to North London from French football and these three players could follow Tolisso to the Gunners.

Kylian Mbappe

The 18-year-old forward has earned rave reviews this season with his performances for French principality outfit Monaco and Kylian Mbappe continues to be linked with a high-profile transfer this summer, with Arsenal just one of many clubs interested in his services.

Likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, Mbappe is capable of playing out-wide or as a direct striker and is tipped for big things in the coming years. With Arsenal looking to bolster their attacking options and also potentially having to replace Alexis Sanchez, Mbappe would be a solid fit for the Gunners but he would prove to be an expensive addition.

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Sticking with Monaco, 22-year-old midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko is another ace who has been linked with a major transfer this summer and Arsenal see the Frenchman as a potential partner to Granit Xhaka in their midfield- which would give the Gunners a strong platform to build a winning side around.

Like Mbappe, Bakayoko has earned plenty of interest from Europe’s elite this season and Arsenal would have to fight off the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United for the midfielder’s services but the promise of first-team assurances could be enough to win the race for his signature.

Alexandre Lacazette

The star-man linked with Arsenal for a number of years, this summer could finally be the time where Alexandre Lacazette leaves Lyon as his French employers are set to miss out on Champions League football having failed to remain competitive with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, OGC Nice and Monaco this season.

25-year-old Lacazette is keen to establish himself in Didier Deschamps’ France set-up ahead of the World Cup next summer and a transfer to Arsenal would likely bolster his chances, whilst the Gunners would add a world-class striker to their ranks that they’re desperately crying out for.