Reports in both the Daily Mirror and Daily Mail this morning suggest Arsenal have revived their interest in Saint Etienne defensive midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
今天早上的镜报和邮报都同时报道了阿森纳重新把目光瞄准了Saint Etienne的防守中场马图伊迪.
Both newspapers claim that Arsene Wenger has stepped up his interest in Matuidi with Cesc Fabregas set to miss the next three weeks with a hamstring injury.
两家媒体表示,由于法布雷加斯可能因为膝盖受伤会缺席3周,温格进一步表示了对马图伊迪的兴趣.
According to John Cross in the Daily Mirror: "Wenger has already had lengthy discussions with St Etienne and 22-year-old Matuidi over a move to Arsenal. St Etienne are demanding £6m while Arsenal want to pay half that figure and are prepared to take the deal right to the wire in the transfer window to drive a hard bargain."
根据镜报的John Cross报道:"温格已经和St Etienne就马图伊迪转会到阿森纳进行长时间的谈判.St Etienne要求600万英镑,但阿森纳只愿意出一半价钱.
Cross adds: "France Under-21 starlet Matuidi, a holding midfielder, would jump at the chance of moving to Arsenal and is hopeful a deal can be completed. Wenger has already revealed that he still has not given up on signing former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, 33, from Inter Milan."
Matuidi, 22, was linked with a move to Arsenal in June and is thought to have been extensively scouted by Arsenal's French scout Gilles Grimandi. The 5.7ft central midfielder came through the ranks at Troyes and has established himself over the past two seasons as a crucial cog in the Saint Etienne midfield.
Although the club battled relegation last season, Matuidi continued to impress, scoring two goals in 36 games as St Etienne battled against relegation. He also received three yellow cards and one red card. So far in 2009/2010, Matuidi has played all three of St Etienne’s Ligue 1 matches.
The Frenchman is known for his consistent displays and the left-footer could fit in well into the Arsenal set-up as he is a quick player with fine technique. Matuidi is under contract at St Etienne until the end of the 2010/2011 season and could well be worth close to 7.5 million euros.
Arsene Wenger may also have the advantage of close relations with Damien Comolli, who is now sporting director at Les Verts. One of the two goals Matuidi scored in Ligue 1 last season was a cracker, his strike against Bordeaux in February can be seen on the video below.