According to reports from The Daily Mail yesterday evening, Arsenal have dropped out of the race to sign Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.
The France international has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most formidable enforcers since the Saints’ top flight ascension in summer 2012, this season averaging the second-most tackles per match, 3.7, of any player in the division.
Arsenal were previously believed to be the front-runners in the race for the 25 year-old’s signature, viewing the 6 foot 2 midfielder as the perfect remedy to the lack of physicality in their engine room, with Manchester United a close second – as This Is Futbol revealed in April.
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Schneiderlin admitted last month that he would leave St. Mary’s for Champions League football, as reported by This Is Futbol, leading the Saints to slap the former Strasbourg youngster with a £25million price-tag.
But that valuation appears to be a little too rich for Arsene Wenger’s blood. According to The Daily Mail, the Gunners gaffer believes his squad doesn’t need major signings to win next season’s Premier League title, and the recent emergence of holding midfielder Francis Coquelin has convinced him not to invest in the like-minded Schneiderlin.
That leaves Manchester United in pole position to sign the Frenchman – but Tottenham are also believed to be considering a summer bid, as This Is Futbol revealed in April.