According to Football Transfers, Arsenal would consider paying £64 million to sign Porto striker Evanilson at the end of the campaign.
The Gunners have had another top season in the Premier League, but they are still searching for a goalscoring centre-forward. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah have not been consistent enough, but it seems Arsenal won’t be able to land a marquee signing in January due to Financial Fair Play issues.
It is now reported by Football Transfers that Arsenal have been impressed by the recent performances of Evanilson, who plays for Porto. The same source claim that the London giants could be willing to pay the £64 million fee required to sign him in the summer, given the bags of potential he has.
Risky signing
Evanilson has been a key player for Porto this season. His campaign has been interrupted by some injuries, but he has still scored 16 goals and provided 5 assists from 21 appearances. The 24-year-old seems ready to step up to the next level, but Arsenal need to be wary of his recent injury record.
The striker missed as many as 21 matches with 6 injuries last year. This is a big warning signing for the Gunners if they are planning to spend £64 million on him. Arsenal already have Jesus, who has been absent for several games with injury setbacks, and they should avoid landing another injury-prone striker.
Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that Evanilson will find his feet in the Premier League quickly. Darwin Nunez has taken 18 months to settle at Liverpool after his move from Benfica. He has only recently become consistent for them in front of goal. Arsenal can’t afford to play the waiting game with Evanilson.
Instead of landing the Brazilian, the Gunners could be better off making a big outlay on Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who has proven himself in the Premier League. The striker has 22 goals from the beginning of last season. He recently scored in his comeback game for the Bees after an eight-month betting ban.
