Arsenal and West Ham are both on the look out for a quality striker, as they look for better alternatives to Olivier Giroud and Diafra Sakho respectively. The Gunners have now honed in on long time West Ham target and Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic as a possible answer to their problems.
A striker is believed to be the biggest priority for the Gunners this summer, as they hope to find a good alternative to the mercurial Olivier Giroud. They were rebuffed in their pursuit of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, as the Englishman chose to sign a new contract with the Foxes despite Arsenal triggering his release clause.
After the Vardy saga, Arsenal have now turned their attention to West Ham United target Mario Mandzukic, according to Italian publication Gazetta World. The 30-year-old Croatian striker currently plays for Serie A Champions Juventus. His situation at the club has been complicated by the arrival of Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli, who will in all likelihood be first choice beside compatriot Paulo Dybala.
The report also states that I Bianconeri could let him go for €20 million, but are more willing to sell Italian striker Simone Zaza to balance out the arrival of Higuain.
Mario Mandzukic has played for some of the best clubs in Europe during his peak years as a footballer. The Croatian striker spent two seasons with Bayern Munich, before moving on to Atletico Madrid in 2014. He only joined Juventus from Los Rojiblanos last summer, but has been an integral part of the team nonetheless. The 30-year-old scored 13 goals and registered 4 assists in 36 appearances in all competitions for Juve.
Mandzukic would present an immediate solution to the lack of firepower up front that has prompted both West Ham and Arsenal to look for attacking reinforcements. The Dinamo Zagreb product, regarded as one of the top strikers in Europe, has vast experience and is in the prime of his career. He has attracted interest from the Premier League before, but it now looks very likely that England could be his next destination.
West Ham and Arsenal are favourites to sign him, and Juventus will be willing to let him go for the right price. The decision of which London club he will join now rests with the player himself, as he could join the more established Gunners with a lesser assurance of first team football or add his star power to the aspiring Hammers.
