Arsenal hold "genuine" interest in signing £152m forward with Eberechi Eze
da spicy bet： Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta still has his eyes on an array of exciting attacking talents, amid the club’s widely reported pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and after their £50 million deal for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
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da bwin： Mikel Arteta’s side have made a serious statement of intent with their deals so far, having also signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, with Arsenal appearing determined to bridge the gap between themselves and Premier League champions Liverpool.
Madueke passed his Arsenal medical on Monday morning, and the England international will soon be joined by Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera. The Spaniard has flown to England today as he begins his own medical with Arsenal, according to Sky Sports, after the Gunners reached an agreement to sign him for around £17 million, including add-ons (Fabrizio Romano).
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also finalising a potential £64 million deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, with Arteta on the verge of finally seeing a prolific number nine join his side after what seems like years of waiting (The Athletic). The north Londoners are apparently hopeful they can fully close this deal in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, with Arsenal flying out to Singapore on Saturday.
After Gyokeres and Mosquera, there are many reports that Arsenal remain in ongoing talks with Eze.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
25/26 – summer
£75m
Arsenal held positive discussions with the England international’s representatives recently (ESPN), and according to trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, they’re still in contact as they maintain their pursuit of his signature.
Now, as per another reliable reporter, talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Arsenal are set to approach Palace over a deal for Eze, with club-to-club talks set to get underway after two-week-long negotiations on the player’s side.
Arsenal hold "genuine" Rafael Leao interest with Eberechi Eze
Arsenal apparently plan to speak with Palace as early as this week, and he’s viewed by Arteta’s side as a possible central attacking signing.
Their deal for Madueke will not impact their move for the 27-year-old, who scored 14 goals and registered 11 assists in all competitions last season. They think of Madueke as a separate signing capable of playing both on the left and competing with Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, with Jacobs even suggesting that they’re still keen on more left-wing options.
Writing for talkSPORT, Jacobs reports that Arsenal hold a “genuine” interest in AC Milan star Rafael Leao as one target on a star-studded three-man shortlist.
Leao has a £152 million release clause written into his contract, which is active from July 5 to July 15 of every year before his deal runs out in 2028, but Arsenal are very unlikely to trigger that considering both the expense and how it expires today.
The Portugal international is one of Milan’s star players, scoring 12 goals and racking up a further 13 assists over his latest season at the San Siro. However, a potential move for Leao hinges on either Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli leaving the Emirates, which is no surprise considering they’ve just signed Madueke.
Bringing in another big-name left-winger would be yet another showcase of real ambition from Berta, but questions will surely be asked about how it could disrupt the dressing room – as Arteta may struggle to hand out adequate game time.
