Arsenal Target Ligue 1 Midfielder as Priority Signing - Report

Arsenal are considering a move to sign Montpellier midfielder Remy Cabella at the end of the season.

Tutto Mercato Web believes Arsene Wenger wants the 23-year-old on a priority basis. Cabella has had an impressive season with the Ligue 1 champions so far, scoring six times and creating six more in 24 games.

The French midfielder's present contract runs till 2016 and Montpellier are believed to be reluctant to lose their star player at the end of this season. The club are seventh in the French league and are already finding it difficult to keep pace with big-spenders and traditional powerhouses like Paris St Germain (PSG), Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyon, despite the shock championship win last year.

Montpellier and Arsenal were drawn in the same group in this season's Champions League. Cabella started both games and looked impressive throughout; the French club lost both games though, on their way to a disappointing fourth place finish.

Pires' Backing

Ex-Arsenal legend Robert Pires has backed his compatriot to shine at the Emirates, should he move to the club, and believes his performances against the Gunners, in the two Champions League games, would not have gone unnoticed by Wenger.

"I think Arsene Wenger will have noticed... likes small technical players like him, players like Santi Cazorla. I think Wenger may have Cabella's name in the back of his mind, and who knows, maybe he will end up at Arsenal," Pires explained.

The Sun believes Premier League leaders Manchester United were monitoring Cabella's situation in December but it is unclear if Sir Alex Ferguson has any plans in this regard.

Bould Hopeful on Diaby Injury

Meanwhile, Steve Bould is hopeful French midfielder Abou Diaby will recover from a fresh injury setback quickly and will come back stronger.

The 26-year-old Paris-born international has had a shocking run of injuries over the last few years, severely limiting his game time for Wenger's men. The latest setback suggests he will face a further eight months injured.

"I've spoken to him very briefly. I saw him just before he went for his scan. It's dreadful news for Abou. As we all know, he's had seven years of injuries and it takes a huge character to come back. Maybe it's a chance for him to correct everything that was going wrong. That's the positive that he can go forward with," Bould said.