FC Porto have slapped a €40 million price tag on Yacine Brahimi, who even though, is of interest to Arsenal, the Gunners are unwilling to meet the asking price.
According to Portuguese publication Correio da Manha, Arsenal are interested in bringing Yacine Brahimi to the Premier League in the summer. However, the asking price is proving to be a stumbling block, with the Gunners unwilling to meet the €40 million price tag placed on the Algerian by FC Porto.
Yacine Brahimi was always a low-profile player, emanating from the FC Stade Rennais academy to then lead a true journeyman’s career. The player was loaned to various clubs before making his way to Spanish outfit Granada, where he first came to the fore as a player to watch.
Brahimi soon found himself moving to FC Porto in a low-money move. The transfer, though, has worked wonders, with the 27-year-old now considered a potent winger in the European scene. The recently concluded season was a disaster for Brahimi, though, wherein he was used sporadically and the numbers reflected his frustration.
6 goals and 4 assists in 22 league appearances are far from impressive returns but that has not diminished interest from the Premier League. While Everton and Arsenal are being perennially linked with the player, the Gunners seemed to be ready to step up their pursuit of the player this summer.
Correio da Manha say Arsenal are showing strongest interest in Porto fwd Yacine Brahimi & willing to pay the €31m (£27m) asking price.
— ?FA Cup Champions? (@ArsenalNexus) June 12, 2017
Arsenal ready to bid £31.5m for FC Porto striker Yacine Brahimi. (Portuguese newspaper, Correio de Manha) pic.twitter.com/vDejRuL9Oa
— Osman (@OsmanZtheGooner) June 12, 2017
Arsenal are resigned to lose Alexis Sanchez and Brahimi is being sought-after as a like-for-like replacement for the Chilean. FC Porto, though, have placed a €40 million price tag on him – an amount that the Gunners are unwilling to shell out for a player who wasn’t even a regular for the club this season.
Porto, though, only stand to pocket €20 million of the amount, with the rest going to a 50% stake of rights owned by third party Stella Group. Brahimi is unlikely to stay at FC Porto beyond the summer, with Sergio Conceicao not seeing the player as a regular and the 27-year-old is unlikely to be satisfied with a squad role.
Everton may spring in with a bid of their own. But, the player is likely to choose the Gunners, if it comes down to a choice between the two clubs, with the prospect of European football as well as a better chance to challenge for silverware.
Arsenal and FC Porto are expected to negotiate and it will be interesting to see if the Gunners can bring the asking price down to an amount that is reasonable in their own eyes. We are certain to see Brahimi move this summer and Arsenal is looking more and more like the Algerian’s destination.
