Gunners still keen on Montenegrin ace.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been locked in secret talks with Manchester City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini as he tries to secure a deal for misfiring striker Stevan Jovetic.
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CaughtOffside understands that Wenger is still a fan of the 24-year-old and has approached City with the possibility of taking him on loan for the remainder of the season that will possibly lead to a permanent deal over the summer should all parties agree to it.
Pellegrini wes not thought to be too keen on letting the player leave for a rival club, but the City board have told him that if his time at the club is not productive then they would prefer a quick sale so as to reinvest the cash in other areas of the squad instead.
Jovetic joined City in the summer for a fee of around £22m from Serie A giants Fiorentina. However, injury problems coupled with the form of Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero have kept him away from the starting XI and reduced him to just three appearances in the league, though he did bag a brace in the club’s 5-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the Capital One Cup.
Arsenal had been looking into the possibility of bringing him to the Emirates before the end of the previous campaign, but Wenger instead opted to try and bring Gonzalo Higauin to the club instead, but missed out when he left for Napoli.
Wenger has reportedly already held several conversations with Pellegrini and the Chilean is said to be coming around to giving the move the green light, but wants him to make a return in the Capital One Cup second leg against West Ham.
Jovetic is nearing full fitness after a hamstring problem kept him sidelined throughout the Christmas period, but with City already 6-0 up on aggregate in the tie he has seen it as the ideal opportunity to slowly integrate him back into playing.
Despite his only action for City coming in dribs and drabs, he did show what he can do against England during the World Cup qualifiers last year, and Wenger has seen enough of him already to believe that he is worth the chance.
So far no fee has been mentioned, though sources say that City will be looking for somewhere in the region of £18m.
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