Deal imminent – Arsenal now raise offer over £44.5million to secure striker who has 21goal and 12 assists last season – official announcement to follow up soon
Arsenal have joined the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Porto striker Mehdi Taremi, according to Portuguese publication O Jogo (page 4).
The Iranian striker was in sensational form for Porto last season, scoring 31 goals and providing 14 assists from 51 outings.
The 30-year-old is already on the radar of United, Spurs, Marseille and Roma, and O Jogo report that the Gunners have now entered the pursuit of the highly-experienced star.
Mikel Arteta’s side have ‘asked for information’ over the availability of the striker. With under a year left on his contract, Porto are open to selling him for a fee of over €20 million (£17m).
Taremi could be used as a target man at Arsenal
Arsenal currently have Gabriel Jesus as their preferred number nine with Eddie Nketiah providing back-up. Folarin Balogun is another striker in the squad, but he could be sold soon.
Balogun had a superb season on loan at Reims with 21 goals in Ligue 1, but Arsenal may not assure him regular first-team football. The club will listen to offers of £50 million this summer.
In our opinion, Taremi would be a useful back-up striker for the Gunners.
During the second half of last season, there was speculation that manager Mikel Arteta was looking for a striker with a better aerial presence. Taremi would be a good acquisition in our view.
The Iranian won nearly two aerial duels per game last season. He is strong with his positioning in and around the box and can provide key passes. He is also very mobile for a 30-year-old.
Taremi may not be a starter for Arsenal, but could definitely make an impact off the bench. He would provide a different dimension to Arsenal’s attack with his strong presence in the box.
