The Frenchman needs little in the way of an introduction, having proved himself to be one of the Premier League's very best over the last 18 months, leading the Saints charge towards
a potential Champions League place this term.
Not exact matches
Arsenal haven't played to
potential so far this season, and although they have shown flashes of brilliance in those massive wins over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield and Galatasaray in the UEFA
Champions League, Wenger's wizards are languishing at 8th
place in the Barclays Premier
League table.
To add to this they managed to draw with Liverpool on Sunday despite the Reds having far more to play for in a
potential Champions League qualification
place.
The 22 - year - old has had a great campaign for Le Aquile, scoring 10 goals in 28 Serie A appearances to fire them in to third and a
potential place in the
Champions League at the expense of the more fancied Napoli.
It will also provide extra motivation for teams such as Liverpool and Tottenham as the competition progresses, with some of the best teams in the competition and
potential winners from smaller nations — the likes of Ajax, Anderlecht, Salzburg and Zenit immediately spring to mind — already likely to be assured of
Champions League places through their domestic finishes.
The fourth position in the Premier
League has become highly sought after, due to the
potential for riches and top player signings that claiming a
place in the
Champions League can offer.
After missing out on a
Champions League place for 2017/18, Arsenal have been linked with some high - profile players in
potential big - money moves, with a striker seemingly a top priority for the club.