Fiorentina goalkeeper Alban Lafont has set his sights on playing for a “five-star club” in the near future after confessing his childhood affection for Arsenal.
The 20-year-old gloveman was highly-coveted last summer while playing for Toulouse, with Arsenal reportedly making enquires over his availability, however the Frenchman previously revealed he turned down the north Londoners last summer, opting instead for Fiorentina.
Could Arsenal sign Lafont? Five key things to know…
- Lafont rose to prominence during his time with Toulouse, alerting a number of Europe’s elite while playing on the banks of the River Garonne.
- He became the youngest-ever goalkeeper to play in Ligue 1 after making his debut at 16.
- Lafont has previously opened the door on a move to Arsenal and has now added fuel to the fire.
- With Petr Cech retiring at the end of the season, the Gunners will be in need of reinforcements between the sticks.
- The Frenchman is one of the hottest prospects in European football at the present and has been an ever-present for Viola this term.
Since his move to Serie A, the Burkina Faso-born gloveman has kept seven clean sheets and continues to draw attention from a number of the continent’s top clubs.
So far the £6m Fiorentina couriered to France to land his signature looks a steal, but Lafont has now revealed his desire to play for a “five-star club” and has once again hinted at a move to north London.
“Since I was little I have really liked Arsenal,” he said.
“I would like to play later in a five-star club.
“But I’m keeping my feet on the ground.”
Unai Emery will be keen to bolster his options in goal and recruit a successor to Cech – and a backup to Bernd Leno – with both David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez seemingly surplus to requirements at the Emirates.
Fiorentina could lose another star to Premier League opposition
Fiorentina chief executive Pantaleo Corvino has revealed that the club nearly parted with one of their key assets last summer but rejected an approach for Nikola Milenkovic from Manchester United.
Former boss Jose Mourinho made no secret of his desire to recruit a centre-back over the summer but his attempts proved futile.
His failure to sign a high-profile defender led to a break down in relations with Chief Executive Ed Woodward, and the Portuguese coach was sacked last month.
However, United’s season may have taken a different direction had they signed the young Serb.
Corvino said: “We rejected great offers from Lyon for [Jordan] Veretout, from Marseille for [Giovani] Simeone and from Manchester United for Nikola Milenkovic.”
That has not stopped speculation intensifying in regards to a fresh bid this summer, and with Arsenal’s reported pursuit of Lafont, the club could be locked into some intense negotiations at the end of the season.
The post Alban Lafont aiming to play for a “five-star” team after growing up an Arsenal fan appeared first on Squawka News.
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