Arsenal supporters already have reason to be fond of Eli Junior Kroupi after his goal for Bournemouth against Manchester City helped seal the Premier League title for the Gunners.

Now, a former Arsenal player believes the north London club should be seriously considering a move for the Bournemouth forward, while also suggesting Arsenal ought to reconnect with their long-standing tradition of recruiting French talent.

Last season, Mikel Arteta had only one French player in his squad — William Saliba — which marked a stark contrast to earlier eras at the club.

Arsenal were among the earliest English clubs to fully commit to bringing players over from continental Europe, with trailblazing manager Arsene Wenger signing a host of French stars across his time in charge.

Players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord helped make Arsenal one of the most widely supported clubs in France — a status they still enjoy today. Another former French player from the Highbury days, Jeremie Aliadiere, has now told FourFourTwo that Arsenal should be targeting more players from France, especially given the quality currently emerging through the France national team setup.

“Absolutely, Arsenal should be looking at these types of players,” Aliadiere said. “Barcola has already been mentioned this summer as one of Arsenal’s targets.

“He has been excellent for PSG and France and would be perfect on the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack. He is a fantastic player and would take Arsenal to the next level if they decide to pursue a transfer for him.

“And because he is French, there will naturally be comparisons with the former French attacking players who enjoyed success at Arsenal.

“But Kroupi has also been mentioned: I know he has an injury, which may mean he stays at Bournemouth, but he showed last season that he is a good young player with plenty of potential, and clubs will definitely be interested in him.”

This summer, Arsenal signed their first French player since 2019 when Ilian Meslier arrived on a free transfer.

The Gunners begin their Premier League title defence at home against Coventry City.