Arsenal have sent scouts to observe FC Porto’s Brazilian striker Evanilson, with the 24-year-old seen as a summer arrival.
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal has set their sights on Brazilian striker Evanilson ahead of the summer window. The FC Porto star has been in prolific form this season, and the Gunners have already sent scouts to observe him closely ahead of a potential transfer in the close season.
Arsenal scout Evanlison
The Gunners have been on the lookout for a prolific striker in January. Still, owing to the challenging market conditions around centre-forwards, they could push for a summer move instead. There have been a host of names linked with Arsenal, including the expensive Ivan Toney, who recently made a goalscoring return to Brentford following his eight-month ban.
With the rising prices of their key targets posing an issue, Mikel Arteta may look to work out with his current options and look for a centre-forward during the summer. FC Porto’s 24-year-old Brazilian attacker Evanilson emerges on their list as they have already sent scouts to observe the forward.
New Arsenal scout Paulo Xavier, with specific expertise in South American football, is on top of the assignment and will provide the Gunners with valuable reports on Evanilson. Arteta could also get a first-hand look at the striker when his side take on the Portuguese giants in the next Champions League game.
There are other high-profile clubs interested in Evanilson, which could spark a summer battle for the 24-year-old. The report claims it would take a €75 million move to sign Evanilson, which could point towards a release clause in the Brazilian’s contract at Porto. It’s widespread for Portuguese sides to have hefty release clauses in player contracts, although Transfermarkt only values him at €25 million.
Why are Arsenal keen on a new striker?
The Gunners had an excellent return to action on Saturday with a smashing 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Arsenal have struggled to score plenty of goals from open play this season, with their forward players mainly working at times this term.
There are extensive suggestions from elsewhere to bring in a prolific striker who can get 20-30 goals per season to boost their title chances. Arsenal are seemingly looking to pass up the opportunity to sign someone of that profile this month, which could add to the pressure ahead of the summer window.
For now, Arteta will focus on getting the best out of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah, while Kai Havertz could also become an option to play in the No.9 role if needed. Beyond Evanilson, there could be other names on their list after the season, including a few high-profile ones.
