Arsenal & Liverpool See £20m Bids Rejected For 31-Goal Hitman

The opening of the summer transfer window is fast approaching so we’ll bring you all the latest transfer rumours and gossip from around the globe. Today, Arsenal and Liverpool are linked with Islam Slimani….

Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool have seen £20m bids rejected by Sporting Lisbon for 31-goal hitman Islam Slimani, according to Noticias ao Minuto via the Mirror.

Slimani has just come off the back of a sensational campaign that saw him score 31 goals in 46 games in all competitions as Sporting finished runners-up behind champions Benfica in the Primeira Liga table.

It appears that impressive form has caught the attention of clubs in England as the Mirror are citing reports coming from Portuguese outlet Noticias ao Minuto that claim both Arsenal and Liverpool have seen opening £20m (€25.3m) offers rejected for the striker.

Arsene Wenger is on the look out for another frontman after losing Danny Welbeck to a serious knee injury and with his pursuit of Jamie Vardy stalling, it looks like the Gunners boss has turned his attention to Slimani.

Jurgen Klopp has already been busy in the market bringing in three new faces so far and it appears the Liverpool boss is hoping to strengthen his attacking options with Christian Benteke expected to depart, and Slimani is seemingly on the German coaches radar.

However, it looks like the Premier League duo are going to have to dig a little deeper if they want to sign the Algerian international as the report suggests that Sporting are demanding the full value of his £24m (€30m) buyout clause.

Arsenal and Liverpool will also have to act swiftly as the Portuguese news outlet claims that Slimani’s buyout clause expires on June 30th and Sporting are expected to increase their asking price from that date.

We’ll have to wait and see whether either club decides to up their offer to meet that figure but it would be a risky signing in my opinion. While £24m isn’t a lot in today’s market, especially for a player who’s just scored 31 goals in a season, the striker is yet to prove himself outside of Portugal.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

The Premier League is another level compared to the Primeira Liga so there is no guarantee Slimani will be able to replicate his goal-scoring form here in England, therefore, Wenger and Klopp will have to think hard before splashing out on the 27-year-old.