Reports in Spain are suggesting that the gunners are favorites to land Alvaro Morata in the summer. The North London club is heavily linked to Morata as many journalists and credible sources claimed that Arsene Wenger went to Italy to hold talks with the young forward.
Real Madrid has a buy-back clause which they can trigger and can get the striker for around 20 to 25 million pounds. Yet, Arsenal is leading the chase. Some sources even claim that Madrid would buy Morata at a cut-price and sell it to Arsenal at a big profit.
Mandzukic and Dybala have been preferred at Juventus this season and Morata has gone down the pecking order. The former Real Madrid is determined to get more minutes under his belt and is interested in a move away from Italy.
Arsenal also needs to improve defensively and get more reinforcements at the back. Wenger is interested in luring Mehdi Benatia to London. The Moroccan has also found it difficult to get regular playing time ever since he has arrived from Roma.
Bayern defender struggled with injuries and fitness issues this campaign and has claimed that he would leave if Bayern Munich asks him to. The defender still has three more years left on his contract but Benatia is keeping his options open.
Elsewhere, Wenger is also keeping his eyes on Islam Slimani. The player is currently playing at Sporting Lisbon and the Gunners are facing competition from Leicester and arch-rivals Tottenham for his signature.
Slimani has a price tag of 25 million pounds which could be a major obstacle for clubs to move for the player. Jorge Jesus has already told the media that he would want his star player to continue at Lisbon. However, the manager knows that it’s not entirely in his hands and both president and players have to give their say on the matter.
The announcement of Xhaka to Arsenal is just a mere formality now as pictures of the player in Arsenal’s new kit have already been leaked and almost every credible source has backed the transfer. According to some reports, the midfielder has even passed the medical at Arsenal.
Arsene Wenger is determined to do the business early on this time and get the fans off his back. Surely signings of Xhaka and Morata will lift the mood of the fans. Other players linked with Arsenal include Rob Holding, Maxi Romero, and Kieran Tierney.
Words By: Hassan Shahid
