Arsenal transfer news: Interest lodged in Cheick Doucoure as quarter of Prem prepare for battle

Arsenal are one of five Premier League clubs to have registered an interest in Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, according to a report.

For the second consecutive season, Lens finished in seventh place in the 2021-22 edition of Ligue 1. One of the reasons they have been comfortable in the top half of the French first division is their strength in midfield. Seko Fofana has earned plenty of plaudits there, but teammate Cheick Doucoure has also impressed.

As such, the latter is once again attracting interest from the Premier League. Last summer, he was linked with Aston Villa. More recently, he has been mentioned as an option for Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.

According to the latest from the Daily Mirror, the queue for Doucoure comprises of at least four clubs, potentially five in the near future. Neither Villa or Tottenham get a mention.

Instead, the suitors competing for the 22-year-old appear to be Arsenal, Brighton, Palace and Everton. All four clubs have supposedly made their interest known. In addition, Wolves have an interest in case they need to replace Ruben Neves.

But they do not seem to be as advanced with their pursuit as the other four interested parties.

Arsenal have been chasing a midfielder since the January transfer window, when they wanted Arthur Melo. Their fears there have since been alleviated by a contract extension for Mohamed Elneny. Still, it is somewhere they could reinforce prior to their return to the Europa League.

Brighton, meanwhile, could be bracing themselves for the departure of Yves Bissouma. The standout Mali international is out of contract in just over a year.

Their rivals Palace have established their interest in Doucoure for a while. They may have to fill a void if Conor