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Arsenal have moved ahead of Liverpool and Bayern Munich in the race for PSV Eindhoven forward Johan Bakayoko, according to Belgian outlet Gazet van Antwerpen.
The Gunners are looking to bolster their attacking ranks this summer to boost their chances of mounting a stronger title challenge next season, and the Belgium international has been on their radar for a while.
BELGA PHOTO VIRGINIE LEFOUR (Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR / BELGA MAG / Belga via AFP) (Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
While Arsenal are yet to reach an agreement with Bakayoko or PSV, getting a deal done looks very much feasible and around €45 million could be enough to get the Dutch top-flight club into parting ways with one of their best players.
The 21-year-old ended 2023-24 with 12 goals and nine assists in 33 league games, and he also scored once and assisted another in eight Champions League games.
His fellow Belgian Romelu Lukaku has been full of praise for the Arsenal target of recent, dubbing him ‘incredible’ and tipping him to surpass his achievements if he continues this way.
Bakayoko primarily plays on the right of the attack, and it is hard to see him dislodge the durable Bukayo Saka should a move to North London work out this summer.
He is likely to prefer a move to where he can be guaranteed a place in the starting XI, which could see Arsenal miss out on him.
The Gunners need quality depth in attack, and Bakayoko fits the bill given his quality and style of play, but not many 21-year-olds are willing to take such a decision.
He is currently at the European Championship with Belgium and has featured for 33 minutes so far but has been tipped to replace the suspended Dodi Lukebakio against Ukraine on Wednesday.
The PSV star will hope to impress watching suitors at the tournament, and Arsenal will continue to keep tabs on him before making a final decision.
