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Arsenal are set to re-open talks to sign Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega after failing to complete a transfer in the January window, as reported by The Mirror.

What's the word, then?

The Argentina international is well known to Gunners boss Unai Emery, as the Spanish manager coached the midfielder during their time together at Valencia and at Sevilla, where they won the Europa League together.

The need for a midfielder at the Emirates is a necessity, as the north Londoners will lose Aaron Ramsey to Juventus in the summer, whilst the future of Mesut Ozil remains up in the air after he has been left out of several matchday squads by Emery.

Banega has a release clause of £17m, which was not met in the winter transfer window as Arsenal were struggling for funds (as per The Mirror). However, a summer move looks far more realistic and one that the Gunners are keen on completing.

Banega is far from the answer

Targeting the 30-year-old is completely wrong move by Emery. Admittedly, Banega is an excellent footballer and has undoubted quality.

Having said that, any positives that he does bring to the Emirates will be short lived. The Argentine turns 31 in June, and another ageing player is not what Arsenal need right now.

They are already in need of fresher faces in defence, with Sokratis, Laurent Koscielny, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal all 30, 33, 35 and 32 years of age respectively.

If the news of Emery's slim summer transfer budget is true - it is said to be just £40m - then the former PSG boss will need to be shrewd in his dealings.

What he certainly should not do is splash almost half of it on a player he will need to replace in a few years.