French midfielder Alou Diarra, who currently plays for French club Bordeaux in Ligue 1 has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, after announcing he is open to a move back to England.

The defensive midfielder, who can also play as a centre back, is described as a player who is “strong, athletic and very powerful” and possesses a “combative edge” with many similarities to former French international Patrick Vieira

The quality and experience Diarra possesses has instantly alerted many teams to his availability, but none more so then Arsenal. It’s been well documented that Arsene Wenger is going to be making big changes this summer to his squad with their defensive frailties in particular being highlighted and with Wenger’s French connections would make Arsenal appear as clear front runners.

Many have looked at the current crop of Arsenal stars and pinpointed a potential reason behind their inability to maintain their form when the pressure increases at the business end of the season, as a lack of leadership and experience amongst the squad. Diarra’s record and playing history defiantly shows great leadership potential being the Bordeaux captain, as well as playing the role of stand in captain for France in the World Cup group stages.

Gunnersphere