Premier League giants Arsenal have been asked to fork out €25 million to sign Internacional forward Yuri Alberto in January.
According to a report from Goal Brazil, Yuri Alberto is facing an uncertain future at Internacional. The talented forward has attracted the attention of a host of clubs across Europe, including Arsenal and Zenit St. Petersburg, who are poised to make a €15 million bid, with €3 million in performance-related bonuses.
However, Internacional have no intention of offloading their star player for anything under €25 million, especially after losing Vinicius Mello. The 19-year-old is another star talent who has agreed to join Charlotte FC for a fee of just over €1.5 million.
Internacional bosses believe that the sale of Mello will be enough to give them the financial boost the club requires in the wake of a sweeping pandemic. As such, they are under no pressure to sell their star player, who has been a real difference-maker since joining from Santos in the summer of 2020.
A centre-forward by trade, Yuri has already featured in 84 competitive matches for the club, scoring 29 goals. Twelve of his goals have come in the Brazilian Serie A this term, helping Internacional remain in mid-table. In fact, the forward has been involved in 15 out of the club’s 44 goals this year – making him one of the most in-demand players in the country.
Yuri has no shortage of admirers either, with Arsenal among the clubs interested in his services. It appears the Gunners are considering him as an ideal option in January, as they look to offload some of the unwanted strikers in the team, including Folarin Balogun. The young attacking phenom is expected to depart Emirates, with Nottingham Forest reportedly keen on a short-term loan deal.
In addition to Balogun, Arsenal may even consider selling star player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese international was recently relieved from his duties as captain after breaching club rules. Barcelona have already expressed interest in securing the services of the former Dortmund forward, although the Catalans are certainly not the only club involved in the pursuit.
Yuri Alberto can, thus, be a handy option for Mikel Arteta during the second half of the campaign, as he can compete with Alexandre Lacazette, while his versatility of playing in the wider roles could open up multiple tactical possibilities in the final third. However, it remains to be seen whether the Gunners opt to meet Internacional’s hefty €25 million price tag.