Arsenal may have received a boost in their pursuit of Valencia striker Maxi Gomez, with the La Liga side hinting at a cut-price sale in January.

According to a report from the Mirror, Arsenal transfer target Maxi Gomez could be made available for a fraction of his £125 million release clause by La Liga giants Valencia in January, amidst the financial crisis at the club.

Gomez started his professional career at Defensor in his homeland Uruguay before securing a move to Europe in 2017, when he joined Celta Vigo. The forward enjoyed a couple of fine seasons with the Galician outfit, producing 31 goals in 75 matches, prompting Valencia to take a punt on him in the summer of 2019.

Since joining Los Che, the 24-year-old has not quite been able to hit the heights of his debut campaign in Spain, netting 14 goals in 55 games so far, with four of those coming in the ongoing season. Nevertheless, Gomez remains a highly sought-after forward, having previously been on Manchester United’s radars and is now being pursued by Arsenal.

It has been a difficult campaign for the Gunners, who have struggled to produce the goods in front of goal in the Premier League. In 14 league games so far, Mikel Arteta’s side have found the back of the net on just 12 occasions – only bottom three sides Burnley (6), West Bromwich Albion (10) and Sheffield United (8) have scored fewer in the competition.

Maxi Gomez on Arsenal's radar (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Maxi Gomez on Arsenal’s radar (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been the go-to man for Arsenal since arriving at the Emirates, has seen his form dwindle since signing a new contract, while fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette has also been misfiring. Eddie Nketiah has done fairly well in Europe, but has not been afforded many opportunities in the Premier League.

So, it makes sense for the club to consider bolstering their attacking options in January, making Gomez a viable target. The 24-year-old’s current contract with Valencia runs till the summer of 2024 and is said to contain a massive release clause worth £125 million.

However, with the La Liga outfit mired in financial problems, there is the possibility that they will consider selling Gomez for a fraction of that amount, with president Anil Murthy hinting at more player sales in the near future. “Two difficult years await us and there will be additional sales of players,” he said, per Spanish outlet AS.

This development is likely to come as good news for Arsenal, although with uncertainty surrounding Arteta’s job, plans could change any moment. Apart from Gomez, the Gunners are also keeping tabs on Boulaye Dia, who has been in fine form in Ligue 1 this term. It remains to be seen if there is any major development in this story in the coming weeks.

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