Arsenal have reported agreed personal terms with Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, who is ready to leave Leicester after relegation.
The Gunners are hoping to secure the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad with reports saying that a deal is “done”. Zubimendi will be Arsenal’s long-term replacement for Jorginho.
However, he isn’t reportedly the only centre-midfielder that Arsenal want to sign as reports have emerged linking them with Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss.
According to Africa Foot, Arsenal are the closest club to sign the 21-year-old, and it says that the Gunners have agreed personal terms with El Khannouss’ agents, and they just need to strike a deal with Leicester.
The Foxes paid £21m for the Moroccan midfielder last summer, and he had a good season despite their relegation. He made 37 appearances, scoring three goals and providing six assists. He plays as a central midfielder, who prefers to attack. He can also play on the left-wing.
El Khannouss’ contract at the King Power Stadium runs until June 2028, but seeing as he can now be considered a Championship player, Arsenal should be able to get a reasonable price for him, especially if the player has a desire to move back to the Premier League.
How would El Khannouss fit into Arsenal?
The midfielder would no doubt be more of a depth option for Mikel Arteta, but due to his age of just 21, he could be one for the future, and develop into a future starter in the Martin Odegaard role.
El-Khannouss likes to create chances, and use his agility to cause problems for opposition defences, he would be a fantastic impact sub early on in his Arsenal career, and then could become a more capable starter for Arteta.
The Moroccan midfielder also has experience internationally, as he has made 22 appearances for the national team. He was a part of the Morocco side that managed to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2022.
