Arsenal are set to face fresh competition from AC Milan and Juventus in the pursuit of Celtic’s star forward Odsonne Edouard.
According to Calciomercato, as relayed by The Sun, AC Milan and Juventus have joined the race to sign Odsonne Edouard. The Celtic star is currently one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having enjoyed stellar success at the club. And, the Serie A duo is now considering making a move for the Frenchman.
This development doesn’t bode well for Arsenal as they turn their attention towards the market in search of a new striker. Their manager Mikel Arteta is already believed to be a huge admirer of Edouard, but the recent interest from AC Milan and Juventus could be detrimental to their hopes of securing the services of the Celtic man.
The Gunners have had their fair share of troubles in finding the back of the net consistently this season, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang lacking form. The Gabonese international has netted only three goals in 13 matches, while Alexandre Lacazette has also failed to step up his game, thus accentuating their need for a new target man. And that is where Odsonne comes into the fray.
The Frenchman’s exceptional record of 70 goals in just 148 competitive matches for Celtic has rightfully attracted the interest of a host of top clubs across Europe. In fact, he was linked with a move to Emirates earlier this year, though a move failed to materialise with the north London club ultimately settling for more defensive reinforcements.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, however, their poor form in the ongoing campaign now makes them a mere onlooker in the pursuit of Edouard at the moment, especially following the recent interest shown by the two Serie A giants.
While Juventus are already one of the most feared teams in Europe, Milan have enjoyed a solid redemption under Stefano Pioli this year and are currently leading the Serie A table.
The Rossoneri are also in a better position to offer Edouard more game-time as they prepare for life without the ageing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while their other forwards, Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic, both prefer to operate in the wide areas.
Arsenal, therefore, will have to be swift in their approach and may even have to offload one of their star forwards if they are to have any hopes of securing the services of the Celtic star.