Capoue has been heavily linked with a move to north London.
Super rich AS Monaco look set to swoop in at the last minute a snap up Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue for €15m, with Arsenal having tracked the player for some time, reports L’Equipe.
The Gunners appeared to be leading the race to secure the Frenchman’s signature with the 24-year-old stating he wanted to leave his current club for a better side.
This sentiment from the player was then followed up by Toulouse president Olivier Sadran admitting that the Ligue 1 outfit would sell the France international if the price was right.
Yet as all the signals seemed to be beginning to point in the right direction for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, Monaco have hijacked his carefully planned strategy as they prepare to open their chequebook once again.
Capoue’s agent Mino Raiola has traveled to the Principality to thrash through the details for the deal for his client to move to the club.
Money is of course no object for Monaco since their takeover by Russian billionaire Dymitry Rybolovlev and so far this summer they have already outlaid £110m for Radamel Falcao, Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez.
Another lucky thing for Claudio Ranieri’s team is that Toulouse are one of only a few Ligue 1 sides that have a good relationship with the newly promoted club.
Pleasantries broke down between Monaco and the majority of the French top tier when the rest of the league claimed Les Rouge et Blanc had an unfair advantage due to the relaxed tax laws in the Principality – compared to those of the rest of France.
As for Arsenal if will be disappointing to see a player they have courted for so long go somewhere else at the last minute.
Watch some impressive interplay from Capoue before a deft finish below:
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