Last Updated: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:11
Arsenal are set to watch Lyon defensive midfielder Maxime Gonalons in action against Tottenham Hotspur again tonight.
The Gunners had a scout at Lyon's 4-0 win over Bordeaux on Sunday night and have been keeping tabs on the 23-year-old French international for the past few seasons.
Gonalons had a good game at White Hart Lane in the first leg of the Europa League tie last week and recently became captain of Lyon, who he won the French Cup with last season.
Arsene Wenger had a long meeting with his coaching staff and scouts earlier this week, including ex-player Gilles Grimandi who operates in France and recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Grimandi watched the FA Youth Cup defeat to Everton on Monday night at Barnet with Wenger and Steve Bould with decisions on transfer targets set to be made on positions that cannot reasonably be filled by any of the exciting crop coming through.
Defensive midfield and central defence is a priority and Gonalons can operate in both, having started out as a centre-back before moving into his current holding role.
His contract at the Stade Gerland expires in June 2014 and sources in Lyon expect a bid in the region of £8.5million would tempt the club to sell a player who has been on the fringes of the French squad this season.
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