Arsenal are 'targeting Lille winger Edon Zhegrova', dubbed as 'The Kosovan Messi' for his trickery

Arsenal are being linked with Lille winger Edon Zhegrova who is being dubbed 'The Kosovan Messi' this summer.

The Gunners are reportedly looking at signing the Kosovo international in a deal worth around £11million as they look to bolster their squad to improve their chances in the Premier League next season.

This is despite Zhegrova only joining Ligue 1 side Lille for £5.8million from Swiss side FC Basel during the January transfer window.

The midfielder, who typically plays on the right side, could now be heading for north London if boss Mikel Arteta gets his way, according to The Sunday Mirror.

Arsenal seem to have a decent relationship with Lille having purchased both Nicolas Pepe and Gabriel Magalhaes from the Ligue 1 outfit in recent transfer windows.

Zhegrova, however, started his career at Genk before he moved to Basel originally on loan in 2019 before making it a permanent switch a year later.

The 23-year-old netted nine times in 49 games for the Swiss side before Lille signed the Kosovo international back in January.

He has been an instant impact at Lille, netting twice in just eight appearances in all competitions so far.

But it's his trickery and dribbling ability that has seen him branded as 'Lionel Messi of the Balkans' - a huge claim that is somewhat backed up when analysing his numbers when the ball is at his feet.

Zhegrova has registered a whopping 5.94 shot-creating actions and 6.36 dribbles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 this term.

The winger has only played 197 minutes in the French top-flight since arriving, making his sample size extremely small.

Prior to making it in football, Zhegrova became an internet sensation as a teenager when clips of his skills went viral on YouTube.

The move will make perfect sense, especially given that the Gunners are expected to listen to offers on Nicolas Pepe this summer.

The 26-year-old joined the Gunners from Lille for a club record fee of £72million in 2019, but has failed to make any real impact in north London.

The Ivory Coast international has struggled for regular starts, only five coming in the Premier League, but 20 appearances in total - most coming from the substitutes bench.

Pepe finds himself down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli preferred options under boss Arteta.

In total, Pepe has made 107 appearances for Arsenal, where he has notched 27 goals in all competitions.