Arsenal ready move for French forward in cut-price deal

Arsenal are eyeing a bargain deal for Lorient forward Alexis Claude-Maurice, write The Daily Express.

Unai Emery does not have a huge budget to spend this summer and is therefore looking for value in the market.

Claude-Maurice certainly fits that description, with the 20-year-old available for around £9m.

The France Under-20 international has scored 14 goals in 35 Ligue 2 appearances this term.

And Arsenal will not be put off by his lack of top-flight experience given the success of Matteo Guendouzi, who they acquired from Lorient last summer.

Norwich are also tracking Claude-Maurice, but Arsenal would be in pole position to sign him if they submit a formal offer.

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Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).