Arsenal take shock interest in La Liga midfielder with €40m release clause | OneFootball

Arsenal are all set to complete a deal for Martin Zubimendi this summer, which will see them pay more than his €60m release clause to bring in a starting quality player. However their business in Spain may not be done this summer, amid links to Real Madrid’s Rodrygo Goes, and they could seek to add further depth in midfield.

According to The Athletic (via Caught Offside), Arsenal are interested in Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume. The former Inter product arrived in Seville 18 months ago on loan, before Los Nervionenses made the deal permanent. Arsenal are supposedly seeking further depth in the middle of the pitch, in spite of the Zubimendi deal, with both Jorginho and Thomas Partey set to leave this summer. Agoume is one of the options on the table.

Lucien Agoume’s situation at Sevilla

Sevilla spent €4m on Agoume last summer for 50% of his rights, and have an option to purchase a further 40% from Inter for €4.5m. That was their initial plan say ED, but the arrival of Sporting Director Antonio Cordon in place of Victor Orta has seemingly halted those plans. Earlier this year Manchester United were linked to Agoume, and more recently Borussia Dortmund too.

In order for Sevilla to execute that option and make a profit, they would need an offer in excess of €10m to arrive, although he has a €40m release clause, and their demands are likely to be much higher. As things stand, Inter will earn half of any transfer fee.

Mixed reviews at Sevilla

Agoume has always been regarded as a highly talented midfielder coming through, and is part of France’s under-21 set-up. That said in a tricky situation, Agoume has been through good spells and others where he has stood out less this season, even if his ability to be effective is visible. This season he was almost always a starter for Sevilla, making 37 appearances, scoring once and assisting three times. He was also sent off once, accumulating 2,291 minutes.