FROM SERIE A: Arsenal on the VERGE of landing MEGA MONEY transfer for £70M highly rated striker who could bench GABRIEL JESUS
Arsenal are reportedly considering a ‘mega-money’ move for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund just 12 months after he joined the Serie A side. The forward is thriving in Italy, though the Gunners aren’t the only club keen to acquire his services.
Arsenal are in no position to turn down transfer pleas from Mikel Arteta as it stands, with his side top of the Premier League and looking capable of pushing Manchester City to the wire. The Spaniard has had his transfer requests accepted over the past few seasons, and he now has a young squad that is fully committed to his vision.
Arteta made it no secret that he would like an attacking recruit in the January transfer window, with winger Leandro Trossard arriving from Brighton following his public fallout with Roberto De Zerbi. However, the 40-year-old is still not content with his striker options and is hoping to bolster that department over the summer.
According to La Repubblica as per Football London, Arsenal are keeping tabs on Atalanta star Hojlund and have been impressed by his recent performances. The 20-year-old has scored six in 19 league appearances so far this season, quickly becoming Gan Piero Gasperini’s first choice No 9 at the Gewiss Stadium.
It is reported that the Gunners are ‘preparing a mega-money offer’ for the Denmark international, though will need to fend off interest from Real Madrid if they are to secure his signature. Having only signed Hojlund in the summer, Atalanta are in no rush to offload the prospect and will charge a significant fee for his services.
It remains to be seen whether the higher powers at the Emirates Stadium universally agree that spending big on a largely unproven forward is a good idea, though a title success would certainly provide Arteta with more funds at his disposal. Given that Folarin Balogun is thriving out on loan at Reims too, his return to north London will be factored into any decision made.
Though Arteta may be persuaded to green-light the bid for the Serie A star after hearing Gasperini compare Hojlund to Manchester City star Erling Haaland. He said: “Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable. He still has so much margin for improvement, too.
“He has very similar characteristics to Haaland, not just his face. Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day.”
