Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be battling for an attackerplaceholder image
Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be battling for an attacker | AFP via Getty Images
Arsenal and Chelsea are said to be involved a three-way tussle for an attacker.
Arsenal and Chelsea are both said to be interested in a huge transfer ahead of the summer. It wound up being a quiet window for both of the London clubs, and for different reasons.
The Gunners built an ultra-strong squad in the summer, spending more than £200million for the right to have the most well-rounded squad in the Premier League.
But the pre-season building means Arsenal did not have the financial space to spend big in January, and if they did, it would likely have left them severely hamstring in the summer barring a significant sale.
And the nature of having such depth means Arsenal should have the cover they need for absences such as the loss of Mikel Merino for the rest of the season.
As for Chelsea, they were already hamstrung in the summer due to fianancial rules and big spending over recent years. It was effectively a one out, one in policy a Stamford Bridge in the summer, and while space opened up in the winter window, the Blues were not going to rush into a deal.
They wanted Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, but the French club were not willing to part ways until the summer, and so they struck a deal with Liverpool instead. Chelsea were not able to find a suitable centre-back elsewhere. They were also interested in a cheap or loan deal for a midfielder, but after Douglas Luiz joined Villa, that search also came up short, with the recall of defender Mamadou Sarr the closest the West London club got to a new signing.
Arsenal and Chelsea tussle for forward
The summer could be very different for Arsenal and Chelsea, with both likely to spend money, and according to Spanish outlet Sport, both London clubs are battling Barcelona for Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez.
Atleti signed Alvarez for £81.5million when all add-ons are accounted for, and interestingly, it was now Arsenal chief Andrea Berta who pulled off the deal. It proved to be a smart one, too, with Alvarez so far scoring 40 and providing 13 assists in 88 games for Atleti. He has 11 goals and 5 assists this season.
That’s a fine return from the Argentine who pushed his way out of Manchester City. He enjoyed a fine spell with City and was loved by Pep Guardiola, but he wanted to become a star player in the striker role, and City could not offer it amid the presence of Erling Haaland.
Given Alvarez’s form, it should come as no surprise that Atleti are asking for more than £87million ahead of the summer, which is 100million euros. The report claims Arsenal and Chelsea are both ‘pushing hard’ for a deal, and that they are ‘prepared to break the bank’ to pull off a deal.
Alvarez is rumoured to have shown interest in joining Barca having been frustrated by Atleti and Diego Simeomne’s style of play at times. As far as Arsenal and Chelsea are concerned, this could be an opportunity to sign a superstar-level player with a reliable goal record, and one who has already proven he can fit into the Premier League.
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