Arsenal transfer news: Arsenal are monitoring AC Milan attacking midfielder Alphadjo Cisse, Ekrem Konur told Transfer Feed. Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Brighton are keeping tabs on the 20-year-old, who has gone from a possible loan casualty to Milan’s leading scorer in a few months.

Milan signed him from Hellas Verona in February for around £7m and sent him straight back to Catanzaro, where an injury ended his season. He nearly left again in the summer, but a pre-season goal against Manchester United convinced Ruben Amorim to keep him. He has since scored at least eight goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 Europa League win at Salzburg, and has earned a senior Italy call-up.

Matteo Moretto reports that the club rejected verbal offers from several Premier League sides, including Brighton, and plans to extend a contract that already runs to 2030 with a pay rise.

Strengths, weaknesses and fit

Cisse is a right-footed attacking midfielder who also plays off the left, and his main strength is timing his runs into the box. Many of his goals come from late arrivals, and he put all four of his shots on target at Salzburg.

The weaknesses are clear. The sample is small, the Salzburg hat-trick makes up a big share of his total, and he has little top-level experience after an injury-hit start to 2026. His pressing and positioning in a side as demanding as Arsenal’s remain unproven.

The fit with Mikel Arteta’s side is partial. Arsenal lead the Premier League with 27 points from ten games, and while they have conceded only five goals, the league’s best record, their 15 scored leave them level sixth. A midfielder who scores by arriving in the box speaks to that imbalance.

Arsenal transfer news: Is Cisse worth chasing for Arsenal?

Arsenal should keep him on the shortlist without starting a bidding war this winter. Cisse plays exactly where Ødegaard and Eze already operate, so he would arrive as a rotation option rather than a solution, and the sharper question is who scores week to week in the final third. Milan paid about £7m, but an expected new contract and three rival Premier League clubs will push the asking price far beyond that.

Arsenal’s scouts should track his minutes, pressing numbers and finishing across a full season, then decide next summer. If Milan’s valuation stays sensible, he is a smart long-term bet. If it doesn’t, walking away costs Arsenal very little.