Report: Arsenal willing to pay 'astronomical' £129m fee to sign striker described as among best in the world
Arsenal are in the market for a new striker as they seek to add more goal threat for next season
Arsenal made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice on Tuesday night as they produced a near-perfect performance to defeat Real Madrid 3-0 in the Champions League. The holders arrived in North London aiming to take a step closer to defending their title but could not live with Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium.
Declan Rice scored two stunning free-kicks in the second half as Mikel Merino netted a third with a sharp finish, in a moment that might have already sealed the tie as the Gunners head to Madrid for the second leg next week.
Arsenal are 11 points behind Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title and while the race is still alive mathematically, the focus is firmly on their bid to clinch a first European Cup.
Arsenal linked with new striker - willing to pay huge fee
The Gunners have been let down by the lack of an out-and-out goal-scorer this season. They have been linked with several of Europe’s top strikers. Viktor Gyokeres appears to be the top target following the arrival of Andrea Berta as sporting director.
Now a new name has been linked in the form of Inter Milan captain Lautaro Martínez. According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Argentine striker’s profile is seen as a good fit at the Emirates Stadium and there are no concerns over his ability to adapt to the Premier League. The 27-year-old is under contract at the San Siro until the summer of 2029 and Inter are not considering a summer exit as things stand.
However, the report claims that Arsenal would be willing to pay an ‘astronomical’ €150m (£129m) to convince Inter to part ways. It is the kind of figure that would see Inter consider their captain’s future. The Gunners have also been linked Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak this summer, with the Magpies said to be wanting around £100m-£120m for the Sweden international.
Martínez could help fill Arsenal void - but Gunners unlikely to fork out mega-money transfer
Inter Milan Vice-President Javier Zanetti said of Martínez earlier this year: “I’m happy with the decision to sign him when we did. When you buy a young player, you have to evaluate them over four or five years. Lautaro didn’t surprise us – we considered what he had already shown, and he has improved every year.
“He shows a great sense of belonging. I think he’s among the best number nines in the world. He helps the team a lot, and as a forward, he still has a long way to go – he’s very young.”
It is clear that Arsenal’s lack of a striker has harmed their hopes of winning the Premier League and Martínez could easily fill the void that exists within Arteta’s squad. He has scored 148 goals and provided 49 assists in 323 games for Inter, an impressive return of more than one goal contribution every other game. However, Arsenal have been already been put off signing Isak due to the high asking price from Newcastle while Gyokeres is set to cost around £84m - a significant drop from the reported £129m that it would take to sign Martínez.
The Gunners are expected to be busy in the transfer market and while they have not been put off by big fees in the past - as highlighted by signing Declan Rice for £105m - there are other areas, such as added depth at centre back and in midfield, that the club also need to use transfer funds on.