Arsenal fans are infuriated as the Gunners once again failed to win the Premier League despite being on top of the table at the start of the year. The squad is set for an overhaul and the club has set it’s sights on an Argentine striker making waves in Italy.
Argentina has a knack for producing world class strikers and Arsenal have witnessed it first hand as they’ve seen Sergio Aguero run rampant in the Premier League. They are now considering getting a South American sensation of their own and have honed in on Internazionale striker Mauro Icardi, according to the Mirror. The Gunners have reportedly sent scouts to watch Icardi and are monitoring his transfer situation.
Big money could persuade Inter to sell their captain
The 23-year-old was made captain of Inter at the beginning of the season and has been an integral part of Roberto Mancini’s side, scoring 15 goals this season. The Italian giants have fallen a long way from the heady days of Jose Mourinho and Champions League triumph in 2010. After having failed to qualify for the Champions League in 2012-13 and 2013-14, Inter didn’t even qualify for the Europa league this season. Currently, they are in fourth spot with no chance of a return to the Champions League anytime soon.
Given the situation, Inter would not like to lose one of their most important players. However financial fair play and the club’s debts mean they would be willing to listen to big money offers. That’s how it panned out in the 2015 summer transfer window, when Real Madrid snapped up highly rated Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic and Swiss winger Xherdan Shaqiri was sold to Stoke City.
Arsenal have to face competition from other Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool, who are all on the hunt for a top class striker and are interested in Icardi. Although he is rated at 32 million euros by transfermarkt.com, his price could rise drastically with the big Premier League clubs gunning for his signature.
Atletico Madrid youngster on the radar as Arsenal scramble for a promising defender
Another position that Arsenal are in desperate need of strengthening is their defence. Their reliable centre-back Per Mertesacker is on the wrong side of 30 and the Gunners need a reliable back-up for him to partner up with Laurent Koscielny at the core of their defence. Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista has not made enough of an impact to be considered a natural replacement for Mertesacker, and Arsenal are now on the look out for a solid centre-back.
The Gunners have been linked with former Olympiacos man and Chelsea target Kostas Manolas, with the Roma and Greece centre-back currently being scouted by the club. However, there are a number of other options that Arsene Wenger has been interested in. Two teenagers in Leicester City’s Ben Chillwell and Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon have caught the eye of the French manager, and a move for either one will probably be launched when the transfer window opens.
The latest young defender to be linked with Arsenal however is Atletico Madrid’s Lucas Hernandez. The 20 year old Frenchman has been capped by the French National team and recently starred in both legs of Los Rojiblancos Champions League quarter-finals against Barcelona, when the Madrid club stunned the world by knocking out the defending champions.
The Atletico Madrid academy product is strong on the tackle and adept at making blocks and interceptions. However, his passing and aerial ability are yet to develop to the standard expected of a top defender. Hernandez is rated at only 5 million euros by transfermarkt.com, and as such represents a bargain deal that could pay off big dividends for Arsenal in the future.
Wenger has a good history with developing young players and has played a huge role in the growth of players like Hector Bellerin, Jack Wilshere and Laurent Koscielny, who have all improved in leaps and bounds under his tutelage. This could interest the Atletico defender, but it remains to be seen if the La Liga giants will be willing to let go of one of their own promising talents.
