Arsenal have reportedly joined Bayern Munich in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma in the summer transfer window.
The Bundesliga champions are looking to sign a new winger in the summer, as Leroy Sane’s future remains in doubt.
Bayern have earmarked Mitoma as a potential option, but they could face competition from Arsenal, who have decided not to move for Sane this summer.
Bayern and Arsenal chase Kaoru Mitoma
Kaoru Mitoma celebrating for Brighton
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners have placed Mitoma as one of the top targets this summer.
Arsenal are also keen on Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who they consider their dream signing. However, Mitoma is also an option for them.
The Japan International has been a key player from Brighton, and Bayern scouts have watched him frequently this season.
The 28-year-old has a contract at the Amex Stadium until 2027, and any potential suitor will need to pay a fee in the region of £42m to secure his signature.
Along with Mitoma, Falk notes for Bild that Bayern are also interested in signing Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze.
Bayern need to offload players to find move for Mitoma
Mitoma has scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 41 games for Brighton this season, per sofascore.
His stunning strike against Chelsea has been awarded the 2024-25goal of the season, and clearly, he can be a smart option for either Bayern or Arsenal.
Having said that, his numbers are not spectacular, especially if we are considering him as a potential replacement for either Sane or Kingsley Coman.
Sane has 13 goals and six assists in 45 games with a better (183) goals per minute ratio, compared to Mitoma (268).
That doesn’t mean Mitoma can’t be a huge success at Bayern. The Bavarian giants spent big on Michael Olise last summer, and he has turned out to be a massive hit.
Let us hope Mitoma can leave a similar impact, but prior to that, we must not lose another target to a Premier League club, having missed out on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool.
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