Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will not have too much convincing to do to tempt the player to move to the Emirates if he goes in for Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko in the January transfer window.
Like a lot of the French players of the current generation who grew up watching that Arsenal side of the late 1990s and early noughties with plenty of "Va Va Voom" set the English Premier League on fire, Sissoko is no different, and the midfielder, who is having a stellar season at St. James' Park, admitted his love for the club managed by the Frenchman Wenger.
"When I was young, Arsenal were my favourite club," Sissoko told in an interview to L'Equipe. "[Arsenal had] my idol Patrick Vieira.
"I've always loved the club, I still love them."
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Sissoko recently, with Wenger seriously short in numbers when it comes to his midfield. Injuries to Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Mesut Ozil and Abou Diaby have forced Wenger to cut short the loan spell of Francis Coquelin, while also pointing to the fact that it is a position the Arsenal manager might look to strengthen in January.
Sissoko, while not being your typical defensive midfielder, is someone who can add something different to this Arsenal team with his physical presence and hard running. The midfielder also has a few goals in him, and, for the right price, the France international would certainly be worth a gamble.
Asked about the constant transfer rumours surrounding his future, Sissoko took the diplomatic path.
"There have been a lot of rumours," Sissoko added. "I do not pay too much attention. I have an agent who takes care of that. If something should happen, it will happen."
Sissoko, while admitting he is quite happy at Newcastle, did hint that he will look to move on from Newcastle for a club in the Champions League – something that most top players in Europe aspire to.
"I have ambition," said Sissoko. "My goal is to play at the best clubs, playing the Champions League, win trophies, but today I am at Newcastle and I am very happy."
Arsenal have been linked with more defensive-minded midfielder like William Carvalho, Grzegorz Krychowiak and Morgan Schneiderlin, but with Wenger not a great fan of the pure defensive midfielder, he might just think taking a punt on Sissoko might not be such a bad option.
Getting Newcastle to sell won't be easy, however, even if manager Alan Pardew recently admitted he would not be surprised if the likes of Arsenal or Chelsea, who have also been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, firm up their interest with a bid in January.
