Gunners handed boost in striker pursuit.
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Arsenal transfer news
Arsenal may have been handed a significant boost in their pursuit of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain this summer, according to Italian source Sportmediaset.
The Gunners are long-time admirers of the Argentine international, with the Guardian even reporting back in the summer of 2013 that a move was close for him to move to the Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid, though he ended up making the switch to Naples instead.
The Guardian also reported earlier this summer that Napoli were determined to hold on to the prolific centre-forward, slapping a £67m asking price on his head if the likes of Arsenal or Liverpool were to bid for him ahead of next season.
However, Sportmediaset now claim the club have made a U-turn on their decision, with additional information from the Metro stating that Arsenal may now be in a good position to sign the 27-year-old for a reduced fee of £42.7m.
Some may argue this still looks expensive for a player of Higuain’s ability, with the former Real Madrid man not looking at his best of late, despite an impressive scoring return of 29 goals in all competitions last season.
The South American goal poacher missed notable chances for his country in their Copa America final defeat to Chile, skying a penalty in the shoot-out. This follows on from another poor big-game performance in front of goal for Argentina against Germany in last summer’s World Cup final.
Still, with Arsene Wenger in need of an upgrade on players like Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck, it seems like Higuain could be a realistic buy to solve the north London giants’ isues up front.