Arsenal 'held preliminary talks' over transfer of 21-year-old Rennes winger Sarr

Arsenal have reportedly held preliminary talks with Rennes over a deal for 21-year-old Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr in the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Goal France, Ismaila Sarr is the subject of interest from Arsenal, who have been tracking the Senegalese international for several months. The Premier League heavyweights have held preliminary talks with Rennes over signing the 21-year-old winger in the summer transfer window.

Ismaila Sarr has garnered a lot of hype and excitement ever since he joined Rennes in the summer of 2017. Making steady progress at the Ligue 1 club, the player has gone on to draw comparisons with Ousmane Dembele, a former Rennes superstar himself, making him one of the most highly rated prospects in Europe.

The player has been in his elements this term, with a solid record of 10 goals and 11 assists in 39 outings across all competitions to show for his efforts. And, his exploits seem to have caught the eye of one of the biggest clubs in the world, with Arsenal showing an interest in signing the 21-year-old.

The problem of a lack of a natural winger at Arsenal is quite well documented, with Unai Emery having to use attacking midfielders and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of position to play out wide. As a result, it has been somewhat difficult for the manager to employ his system seamlessly.

As a result, the Gunners have been reported to be in the market for a winger, with Cengiz Under the latest to be linked with the Premier League heavyweights. And, Sarr also appears to be on the agenda for Arsenal now.

The Senegalese winger has previously been linked with the North Londoners, but it is only now that they are seriously considering a move for him. The report suggests that Arsenal have been tracking Sarr for several months now, at the behest of former Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat.

While Mislintat may have long departed the Emirates, Sarr continues to remain a subject of interest for Arsenal, who held preliminary talks with Rennes last week in the aftermath of their 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie.

Goal have further claimed that the interest could soon be formalised by the means of an offer from the Gunners, suggesting that Sarr could be one of their top targets. It will now be interesting to see if that indeed is the case.

If claims of Ismaila Sarr being as good as Ousmane Dembele are true, Arsenal would do well to secure his services, and it now remains to be seen if the Premier League outfit do end up making the move for the 21-year-old winger in the summer transfer window.