Reds target eyes Arsenal 'dream'

Arsenal may be tempted to make a summer move for Standard Liege midfielder Axel Witsel - a reported Liverpool target - after it emerged his ambition is to play in the Barclays Premier League.

Belgium's 2008 player of the year is 22 and is therefore a good fit for both Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and Reds manager Kenny Dalglish's transfer policies.

After spending the past five seasons with Les Rouches, Witsel is on the verge of making his next career move, according to his father Thierry Witsel.

But Wenger appears to be in the driving seat to land the starlet, if a bidding war begins between the two Premier League giants.

'I personally hope that this was his last season with Standard as he needs to grow and to do it he needs to leave the country,' Witsel Snr told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.

'He doesn't have a specific target but he has a dream and it's called Arsenal, but this doesn't mean that he's not open to other clubs.'

The promising midfielder made 34 appearances and scored 10 times this season and has already been confirmed on the transfer wish-lists of a number of Serie A sides.

Fiorentina have made an approach over his availability but an estimated price-tag of £9million is understood to have put off the Florence outfit as well as reigning domestic champions AC Milan.

Witsel first came to the attention of Arsenal's coaching staff when he played for Standard Liege against the north Londoners in two group stage matches of the 2009/10 Champions League.

Members of Liverpool's scouting network have also been spotted at several Standard matches this season.

Source: Metro.co.uk

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