Arsenal
Wenger Tried To Pull Out Of Giroud Deal To Sign Spanish Hitman Instead
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger tried to pull-the-plug on the signing of Olivier Giroud in order to push through a move for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez.
Despite the transfer window being closed, there is always transfer gossip doing the rounds in the papers and we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest news during the coming months. Today, Arsenal almost signed Adrian Lopez instead of Olivier Giroud.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger tried to pull-the-plug on the signing of Olivier Giroud in order to push through a move for Atletico Madrid striker Adrian Lopez instead, according to Goal.com.
Arsenal signed Giroud from Montpellier in a £12m deal this summer but his Arsenal career could have been over before it began with Goal.com claiming Wenger tried to pull out of the deal at the last minute after learning he could sign Madrid striker Adrian instead.
However, the Giroud deal was already signed-off and with Robin van Persie’s future still uncertain and Nicklas Bendtner, Park Chu-Young and Marouanne Chamakh still on the books, Wenger was reluctant to sign another first team striker and therefore cooled his interest in Adrian.
By the time Van Persie, Park and Bendtner had left the club, the chance to sign Adrian had passed and Wenger missed out on one of his long-term transfer targets. An apparent ‘source’ told Goal.com:
“He [Wenger] tried to pull the plug on the Giroud deal to sign Lopez instead,”
“But by then it was too late and the Giroud transfer had already been signed off.”
However, the Frenchman’s interest in the Spanish international remains and Goal.com report that the Gunners will make a fresh move for the 24-year-old in January after Arsene Wenger received glowing reports from his Spanish-based scout Francis Cagigao – who was crucial in the signings of Cesc Fabregas, Jose Reyes and Santi Cazorla.
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It’s said that Wenger has made a striker his top priority this winter and Adrian remains his top target. The Londoners have been encouraged with the news that the hitman has a £14.6m release clause in his contract and has fallen out-of-favour at Madrid this season after failing to agree a new deal.
Would you have liked Adrian instead of Giroud? Get involved in the comments section.
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