Arsenal
Arsenal & Man Utd On Alert As £35m Target Confirms Intention To Move This Summer
Arsenal and Manchester United have been placed on alert after Jackson Martinez confirmed he’s ready to take the next step in his career at the end of the season
The January transfer window is now closed but that won’t stop the newspapers from speculating ahead of the summer so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Arsenal and Manchester United are linked with Jackson Martinez….
Arsenal and Manchester United have been placed on alert after Jackson Martinez confirmed he’s ready to take the next step in his career at the end of the season, according to reports.
Martinez moved to FC Porto in 2012 and has been one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past two-and-a-half years, scoring an incredible 83 goals in just 117 games.
The Colombian international was strongly linked with a switch to the Premier League last summer but a move failed to materialise and he stayed at Porto where he’s scored 23 goals in 26 appearances so far this campaign.
With the 28-year-old still in red-hot form in front of goal, understandably he’s still catching the eye of some top clubs and the Daily Star claims that Arsenal and Manchester United are keen on luring him to England.
The duo have now been boosted in their pursuit after Martinez confirmed to reporters this week that he’s ready to make ‘the leap’ when the transfer window re-opens in the summer.
When quizzed about his future at the Estadio Dragao, the hitman said he’s focussed on Porto for now, but will look to address his future at the end of the season:
“Right now I only focus on doing my job with Porto, but I’m ready to make the leap in the next window.”
“I have my head focused only on the work I’m doing at Porto at the moment and when the transfer window reopens, we shall see what will happen.”
With a goal-scoring record as impressive as his, I’m sure there will be plenty of interested parties in Martinez this summer but they will have to have deep pockets as his buy-out clause is reportedly set at £35m.
If Arsenal and Man Utd do make a move for the player then the Gunners are likely to be favourites as the Colombian has previously admitted he’s a boyhood Arsenal fan. Speaking before last summers World Cup finals amid speculation of a bid from Arsene Wenger, Martinez said:
“I know that there have been discussions, but still no agreements.
“My agent is taking care of my future, right now I’m at the World Cup and only after the World Cup I’ll evaluate proposals.
“As a child I cheered for Arsenal, they play a game that suits me. If I had the occasion to play there, I would say yes.” Martinez is quoted as saying by the Express.
However, Arsenal went on to buy Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez and already have Olivier Giroud on the books, so unless Wenger is planning on selling one of his current crop of forwards, I struggle to see where Martinez would fit in at the Emirates.
United also have an embarrassment of riches up front with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Radamel Falcao and James Wilson all vying for starting spots, so if Louis van Gaal does go for Martinez then it suggests that he may reject the chance to make Falcao’s loan move permanent.
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We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months but there’s no doubting whoever gets Martinez in the end will have added a deadly finisher to their ranks and I’d be interested to see how he gets on in the Premier League.
