Arsenal have submitted a player-plus-cash offer worth £58.5m to sign Dusan Vlahovic in a deal that would see Lucas Torreira join Fiorentina on a permanent basis, according to reports via the Express.
Mikel Arteta appears to be steering Arsenal in the right direction with the Gunners currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table but the Spanish boss knows he needs to revamp his striking options over the coming months.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future in north London is in serious doubt as he’s being tipped to leave the Emirates Stadium during the winter window after being axed by Arteta last month for persistent disciplinary breaches.
Alexandre Lacazette is back in favour for now but has just six months left on his contract while Eddie Nketiah is also set to move on after refusing to sign an extension to his deal – which also expires in the summer.
It means Arsenal could lose their main three strikers over the coming months so Arteta is in the market for potential replacements and Vlahovic has emerged as a top target for the club.
The Serbian international has been strongly linked with a move to North London with Tottenham reportedly joining Arsenal in the race to sign the prolific Fiorentina hitman but it appears the Reds have stolen a march on their rivals.
Auba replacement?
The Express are citing a report from Gazzetta dello Sport that claims Arsenal have now tabled an offer worth £46million (€55m) plus Torreira to sign Vlahovic this month. Torreira is currently enjoying a successful loan spell at Fiorentina and the Gunners value the midfielder at £12.5m so the total offer is worth £58.5m (€70m).
According to the Italian outlet, Fiorentina are now considering Arsenal’s offer but they may be tempted to cash in as Vlahovic has less than 18 months left on his contract and is refusing to sign an extension.
The 21-year-old’s value is only going to reduce the closer he gets to the end of his deal and it appears Arsenal are trying to take advantage of the situation by launching a bid to sign the striker this month.
Vlahovic has previously indicated he will stay at Fiorentina until the end of the season before deciding on his future but that could all change should Arsenal agree a deal with the Serie A outfit over the coming weeks.
The youngster has developed into one of the hottest young talents in European football having scored 18 goals in 22 matches this season so he’d be a superb addition to Arteta’s young squad if Arsenal could lure him to North London.
