Arsenal eye move to sign £50m hitman as Arteta looks to bolster attack – reports

Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin but may have to pay around £50m to land the Everton hitman this summer, according to reports.

Mikel Arteta is expected to be extremely busy in the transfer market over the coming weeks as he looks to overhaul his squad following another disappointing campaign that saw Arsenal finish eighth in the table and miss out on European qualification for the first time in 25 years.

The Spanish boss is reportedly in the market for a new goalkeeper, at least two defenders, a couple of midfielders and a new No.10 but it appears Arteta is also planning to revamp his attacking options this summer.

The Telegraph claims that Calvert-Lewin has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal and the Gunners could launch a move to sign the Everton hitman if they manage to offload some unwanted players first.

The likes of Granit Xhaka, Hector Bellerin, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreria are all expected to leave the Emirates this summer but a striker would also have to depart to make room for Calvert-Lewin.

Eddie Nketiah’s future at Arsenal is in serious doubt while Alexandre Lacazette is about to enter the final year of his contract so the Frenchman could be sold this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension soon.

Arsenal should still be able to command a decent fee for Lacazette and his exit would open the door for Arteta to step-up his interest in Calvert-Lewin but any potential deal isn’t going to be easy to pull off.

The 24-year-old has become a vital player at Goodison Park since arriving from Sheffield United in 2016 and he scored 21 goals last season so Everton will be determined to keep hold of their star striker.

Calvert-Lewin is tied down to a contract until 2025 so the Toffees are under no pressure to sell but The Sun suggests they may be tempted to cash-in if the likes of Arsenal put £50m on the table this summer.

I actually think that would be cheap for a player of Calvert-Lewin’s quality and he’s also been named in the England Euro 2020 squad so it would be an excellent deal if Arsenal could snap him up for around £50m.

The Gunners would no doubt be willing to give the striker a hefty wage increase but it remains to be seen whether Calvert-Lewin would be prepared to join a club that can’t offer European football next season.