Arsenal are now looking to rope in Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain, and are willing to send their French striker Olivier Giroud the other way.
Olivier Giroud has become the whipping boy of Arsenal fans because of his inability to take advantage of the goal scoring opportunities provided by the industrious Gunners midfield. His recent outing with France in the European Championships did nothing to dispel that reputation. The 29-year-old striker managed to score 3 goals at Euro 2016, but given the number of attempts he had, the number could have been a lot more.
His lack of pace was also exposed in the Euro 2016 semi-finals against Germany, when he beat Jerome Boateng in the air to put himself through on goal, only to be shrugged off a clean sliding challenge made by Benedikt Howedes. After his side lost out in the final of the competition, Giroud will now return to Arsenal where he has scored a total of 57 league goals in 135 appearances – a decent tally – but not one befitting the main striker of a team as glorified as the Gunners.
However, it looks like the Arsenal hierarchy have had enough of Giroud. They are willing to offer the French striker plus a heft transfer fee to bring Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain to the Emirates Stadium, according to renowned Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. The report goes on to say that Giroud was being scouted by Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri in the Euro 2016 final. It further reveals that Higuain has received a €50 million a year deal to join Chinese Super League side Heibei Fortune.
Higuain has been a long time transfer target for the Gunners, who competed with Napoli for the Argentine’s signature in the summer of 2013. The Neapolitan club won the horse race and secured the services of El Pipita for €40 million. The 28-year-old forward has only improved in the Serie A, finishing this past season with 38 goals in 42 games for Napoli in all competitions.
El Pipita is now one of the most sought after strikers in Europe, and Arsenal will have to pay a significant amount of cash along with Olivier Giroud if they want to tempt Napoli to part ways with him. But a transfer fee of at least €50 million is one the cards, even if the Gunners part with their current number 1 striker.
