Arsenal
Wenger In For Mandzukic After Giving Up On ‘Chelsea-Bound’ Costa
Arsenal have turned their attention to signing Mario Mandzukic after giving up hope of trying to land Diego Costa as they believe he’s on his way to Chelsea
As we approach the business end of the season clubs are starting to make plans for the summer transfer market so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip. Today, Arsenal turn their attention to Mario Mandzukic as Diego Costa looks bound for Chelsea.
Arsenal have turned their attention to Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic after giving up hope of trying to sign Diego Costa as they believe the Atletico Madrid hitman is on his way to Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is expected to be in the market for at least one striker this summer with the North Londoners heavily reliant on Olivier Giroud up front this season, while back-up front-man Nicklas Bendtner is almost certain to leave the club when his contract expires in June.
Wenger has been linked with a number of world class hitmen in recent months but the Mail suggest he has now set his sights on Mundzukic and is weighing-up the cost of a deal for the 27-year-old after resigning himself to the fact that another one of his top targets – Diego Costa – looks set to join Chelsea this summer.
It’s certainly a sensational claim by the newspaper as they don’t only state that Arsenal are now in for Mandzukic but they also imply that Costa to Chelsea is pretty-much a ‘done-deal’. Whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen but this report will be of huge interest to both Arsenal and Blues fans.
Mandzukic has just one-year left on his contract at the Allianz Arena and with Robert Lewandowski set to join Bayern in the summer, the Croatian international is going to find first team football even harder to come by next year.
He was left on the bench for the German’s recent Champions League quarter final first leg against Manchester United with Thomas Muller preferred through the middle, and the arrival of Lewandowski is only going to see him fall further down the pecking order.
A move away this summer could therefore suit all parties as Bayern will be reluctant to see him leave for nothing just 12 months down the line, and he is likely to be offered the first team football he craves at the Emirates. Mandzukic would be the big-name striker many Arsenal fans crave and he would surely be considered an upgrade on Giroud.
So what to make of the second part to the Mail’s report which suggests that Costa is on his way to Chelsea?
Well there have certainly been plenty of rumours to suggest this deal is very-much on the cards and SkyBet even suspended betting on the Spanish international moving to West London last week.
Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to bring in a world class striker this summer after constantly complaining that he has ‘no real strikers’ this season. Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba have all failed to convince the Portuguese coach as none have managed to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, so a move for a player of Costa’s quality would make a lot of sense.
We’ll have to see how these potential deals pan out over the coming months but I suspect that both Arsenal and Chelsea fans would be pretty chuffed if their clubs managed to sign Mandzukic and Costa this summer.
READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Chelsea transfer news
Would Arsenal fans like Mandzukic? What about Chelsea supporters, is Costa the man to solve your striker woes? Share your views below.
