Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Premier League bigwigs Arsenal and West Ham United ahead of the January window.
According to a report from Eurosport, Arsenal and West Ham United are interested in a January move for Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic, who is set to be sold by the La Liga giants.
Jovic arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth €60 million from Eintracht Frankfurt after a prolific season in the Bundesliga. However, the Serbian has struggled to translate that form in Spain and has largely spent his two years at Madrid on the periphery of the first-team.
Jovic, so far, has managed just 35 appearances for Real Madrid, producing a paltry tally of two goals and assists apiece. A loan spell back to Eintracht Frankfurt for the second half of the last season did not help either. Back at the Spanish capital outfit, the 23-year-old has featured just three times, all from the bench, totalling up to just 21 times of action.
With the player not happy with his situation and Real Madrid also looking to generate funds for their double swoop of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, there could be a parting of ways on the cards during the January transfer window. This has potentially alerted Arsenal and West Ham United over a move for the Serbian international.
Goals have been an issue for Arsenal in the new season with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not yet firing on all cylinders while Alexandre Lacazette is in the final year of his contract and is courting interest from several clubs already. Eddie Nketiah, too, has less than a year left on his deal as well while Folarin Balogun lacks experience at the highest level.
So, adding a new striker would be a welcome move for Mikel Arteta & co., making Jovic a viable target. However, they are likely to face competition from London rivals West Ham United for the signing of the 23-year-old. The Hammers were in the market for a new striker all summer but were not able to secure any signing in the position.
This has left manager David Moyes with Michail Antonio as the only natural option for the centre-forward role. While Jarrod Bowen has been used in the position previously, adding another proper striker would make sense for West Ham, especially if they go on to progress to the knockout phases of the UEFA Europa League, with Jovic emerging as an option.
However, the report adds that the 23-year-old would prefer a move to either Italy or Germany over the Premier League. He has been linked with a loan move to Inter Milan and it remains to be seen where he ends up come January.
