Arsenal Midfield Target Refuses to Close Door on Summer Transfer

Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons has hinted at a summer transfer. The 24-year-old France international has been linked to Arsenal. The Gunners reportedly opened talks with the Ligue 1 side in April but nothing further has surfaced since then; Serie A side Napoli were also linked to the player but his agent moved to play down reports of a move to the Italian club.

"I've seen the speculation from. There are lots of rumours, even if certain things are true. Playing for a club like Lyon, I know I am in the public eye, other big clubs watch us," the club captain explained.

"I know the club have confidence in me and that is important. I am concentrating only on OL but, in football, anything can happen very quickly," Gonalons added.

Wenger reportedly had scouts observing Gonalons during last season's Europa League tie against Tottenham and an earlier Metro report linked him with a £15m bid for the player. Gonalons is contracted to the Stade Gerland club until 2016.

The north London side are believed to be actively shopping for a holding midfielder, 12 months after Cameroon international Alex Song vacated that role and moved to Barcelona. Wenger has had a club record €23m bid rejected for Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender and is considering a similar bid for Everton's Marouane Fellaini.

Lyon remain determined to hold on to their captain though, with the club releasing a statement to that effect in June, denying reports of talks with Napoli and generally warning all suitors that Gonalons was not for sale:

"Olympique Lyonnais was very surprised to read the daily L'Equipe this morning he would set an amount for transfer Maxime Gonalons, and that it would be more than € 12 million. Club [does] not intend to part with captain and it is a matter of clear strategy, namely further development around the best youngsters from the academy, Maxime Gonalons is one of the best examples. Olympique Lyonnais therefore denies any contact and any negotiations with the club in Naples and regrets an intermediary may suggest otherwise, as suggested in this newspaper."