According to Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo, Arsenal are keen on signing Real Betis playmaker Nabil Fekir this summer as they prepare for the possibility of life without Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian has hit the ground running at The Emirates since linking up with the Gunners temporarily in January, but the Santiago Bernabeu outfit are not keen to let him join Mikel Arteta’s side permanently and are hoping to count on him for next season.

Arsenal are already looking for potential replacements with their manager in need of a quality playmaker, and they have identified Fekir as a target.

The France international is also on the radar of new Barcelona President Joan Laporta, but he currently has a €90 million buyout clause that could make a deal difficult.

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The Gunners will be hoping to land him for around half of that fee, and it will be interesting to see whether the 27-year-old will finally become a Premier League player.

Fekir was very close to joining Liverpool from Lyon in a £53 million deal back in the summer of 2018, and he even recorded an interview with LFC TV.

However, the Reds pulled out of the deal at the eleventh hour due to a failed medical, with concerns over a ruptured cruciate ligament he suffered during the 2015-16 campaign.

The Frenchman signed for Betis the following summer for just £22m, and he has since scored 10 goals and assisted nine others in 57 La Liga games.

Fekir finally has an agent having spent years without one, which could hint at a possible summer exit.

He has what it takes to help improve Arsenal’s midfield given his huge qualities and talents, and he would be more than keen to prove Liverpool wrong should a move work out.

The summer transfer window promises to be an interesting one, and it will be intriguing to see whether the Gunners can beat Barcelona and other suitors to his signature.

In other news, Arsenal reportedly want the player who dumped Tottenham Hotspur out of the Europa League.