With Arsene Wenger looking to bring in a specialist defensive midfielder ahead of the new Premier League season reports are growing that Cheick Tiote is the player Wenger wants.
According to reports the Wenger believes the Ivorian midfield enforcer could be the ideal player to add steal to the Gunners’ midfield.
Arsenal though are not the only interested party in the 28-year-old who is believed to have become unsettled in the north-east with clubs in Germany, Spain and Russia all interested in the player.
The reported £8 million price tag on the midfield would present a cheaper option for Arsenal as opposed to the club’s other reported targets William Carvalho and Sami Khedira.
Alan Pardew would certainly not be keen to lose his vice-captain but the Magpies do have a recent track record of selling players on having sold Andy Carroll and Yohan Cabaye in recent seasons.
If Tiote were to make the move to the Emirates he would follow ex-club mate Mathieu Debuchy who made the switch from St. James’ Park to North London earlier this summer in a £12 million move.