Monaco Striker Emmanuel Riviere Dreams of Arsenal Move

Monaco striker Emmanuel Riviere has revealed that he has been dreaming of playing in the Premier League for Arsenal, right from childhood.

The north London club were keen on signing a striker in January and their reported attempts in sealing loan moves for Real Madrid's Alvaro Morata and Juventus' Mirko Vucinic ended in failure.

The Gunners currently have only three recognised strikers in Olivier Giroud, Yaya Sanogo and Nicklas Bendtner. The former Montpellier star has shouldered the goal-scoring burden alone this season while his 21-year-old compatriot has played a peripheral figure.

Bendtner's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and the Danish international is poised to break his allegiance with Arsene Wenger's side. Riviere, who is hopeful of fulfilling his dream, will ease Giroud's responsibility if he makes the switch to the Emirates in the summer.

"England is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming of Arsenal. You have to believe and never let go," Goal.com quoted Riviere as saying.

Arsenal look certain to make some quality additions in order to bolster their attacking department during the summer. Arsene Wenger's side fell victim to the season's wear and tear as they tumbled down from the top of the league table to fourth spot.

Riviere signed for Claudio Ranieri's side in January last year and has over three years left in his present deal. However, the 24-year-old has hinted that his future with the Ligue 1 outfit may come under consideration in the coming months.

"I'm good at Monaco today, I have three years left on my contract. There will surely be reinforcements this summer. We will see what happens," Riviere concluded.

Monaco have made considerable investments in the striking department by signing Radamel Falcao and Dimitar Berbatov over the previous two transfer windows.

The club's Russian owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev, is certain to invest heavily in the squad, given that he has previously shelled out a huge transfer fee to acquire the services of the former Atletico Madrid star.

Although Riviere has made 28 Ligue 1 appearances this campaign, his first team prospects might drop next season once Falcao is fully fit to feature once again.

The Daily Express suggests that Riviere's valuation is £5m, the price at which Monaco could consider selling the striker, who they signed for £3m.