Nabil Fekir wants assurances from Arsene Wenger before commiting to a move to Arsenal

Lyon midfielder Nebil Fekir has told Arsenal that he will not consider a move to the Emirates unless he is given assurances with regards to first team football.

The 21-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in the summer, but any transfer would need assurances from the manager regarding his playing time. The player is sceptical about his chances in the first team, with the Gunners having with quality players in all positions, especially in the centre of the park.

The likes of Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin are among the few players he will be competing with for a spot and the midfielder is contemplating whether to make the switch at such a raw age, with experience on the pitch being of prime importance at the moment.

"With all the great players at Arsenal it would be difficult for me to get a place in their team. You never know what might happen. But I don't want to leave Lyon too early, and end up sitting on a sub's bench somewhere," Fekir said.

"I love to play. I am not happy if I don't get games," he added.

The midfielder is valued at £20m by the French club and unless the Gunners have plans to shift either Cazorla or Mesut Ozil out of the squad, it is unlikely that they will splurge the cash on yet another attacking midfielder, given their plethora of options.

Meanwhile, the Gunners jumped into third spot following their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in a weekend where Manchester United lost to Swansea and Liverpool play Southampton at St Mary's, with either or both teams poised to lose ground in the race for a top four spot.

Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla were the scorers for Arsenal and both attacks stemming from intelligent play from Danny Welbeck, who has managed to keep Theo Walcott out of the team.