West Ham have reportedly gazumped Arsenal as they try to land FC Lorient’s Alexis Claude-Maurice but the Gunners are expected back with an improved offer.

Arsenal reportedly bid £9m for the player on Friday only for West Ham to bid £10m for him. That’s what Sky Sports believe, anyway.

Mohamed Toubache-Ter, the journalist who first broke Arsenal’s deal for Matteo Guendouzi from the same club, however, claims Arsenal only bid €7m (£6.2m) for him in the first place and will be going back to offer €13m (£11.5m).

With interest in the player from Monaco, Lille, Mainz and Gladbach in addition to the Hammers, the French side, probably correctly, believe they can get €15m for him.

As well as playing out wide, Claude-Maurice can also play in attacking midfield. The young Frenchman scored 14 goals and assisted four in 36 games this season, including many efforts from long-range. You can watch all of his goals and assists below:

Every goal and assist from Alexis Claude-Maurice in the 2018/19 season. He’s definitely got a good long-shot on him. #AFCpic.twitter.com/oNaJLFhDCy

— Dan Critchlow (@afcDW) May 25, 2019

Arsenal are certainly in need of goalscoring wide players, although the assumption was that they might look to the academy to find them. The likes of Reiss Nelson, Bukayo Saka and Xavier Amaechi are all waiting for chances in wide areas.

Then again, perhaps the Gunners plan to sign the Lorient man to play more centrally, or they intend to loan out one or two of the academy youngsters. At this stage, it’s hard to say for sure.