Arsenal target Everton star Gueye to be their Kante

There’s no question that Arsenal could use some midfield steel next season, and the latest reports suggest Arsene Wenger is hoping Everton’s Idrissa Gueye can solve that problem.

Having failed to sign N’Golo Kante, Wenger has had to watch the Frenchman close in on successive Premier League titles with Leicester and Chelsea.

So the Gunners boss has turned his attention to the Everton midfielder instead.

Gueye first impressed on these shores with Aston Villa, but even his starring performances shoring up the midfield couldn’t stop the Villans being relegated in 2016.

Only Kante made more tackles than the Senegelese ace during his one season in the Midlands, and that was more than enough to impress Everton.

And there’s no doubt the Toffees have benefited from signing the 27-year-old last summer, as they sit in a confident seventh.

And according to Squawka, Gueye is doing all the dirty work once again – and even Kante can’t match him this time.

Gueye has made seven more tackles than any other Premier League player this season, and his total of 74 is 11 more than Kante.

No wonder Arsenal are so keen.

With big-money signing Granit Xhaka continuing to suffer from ill-discipline, Arsenal would surely benefit from acquiring a player who has been booked just twice in his last 13 league games.

With a valuation of £10m and a contract running until 2020 however, it won’t be easy to prise Gueye away from Goodison Park.

And many will wonder why Wenger didn’t move last summer, when the defensive workhorse was available for a snip at £7m.

But is this the signing Arsenal have been crying out for? Let us know in the comments below!

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing