Arsenal have made an opening €8 million (£5.7 million) bid for Juventus forward Fernando Llorente, according to Italian reporter Tancredi Palmeri.
Arsenal have offered 8m€ to Juventus for Llorente
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) July 27, 2015
Arsene Wenger has been linked with moves for a number of possible striker signings this summer, most prominently Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain [via the London Evening Standard] and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema [via the Daily Express], though a move for 30-year-old Spanish international Llorente could prove a more cost-effective option.
Current first-team starter Olivier Giroud has proven a solid, if not spectacular, performer over the course of the past three seasons at the Emirates Stadium.
During that time the 28-year-old has scored 58 goals in 134 appearances for the North London club, by no means a prolific return.
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World Cup winner Fernando Llorente left Athletic Bilbao to join Juventus two years ago and scored 18 goals in his first season at Turin, but failed to replicate that form in 2014/15.
The Spaniard found himself falling behind Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting eleven towards the end of the season and was not named in the Juventus starting eleven for the 2015 Champions League final against Barcelona.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is also keen on Llorente [via the Daily Express] and arguably the White Hart Lane side are in even more desperate need of attacking reinforcements.
Last season Pochettino had to rely heavily on youngster Harry Kane with senior forwards Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor both failing to net consistently.