Arsenal have been heavily linked with many strikers in the past month with Alvaro Morata and Jamie Vardy to name a few. One striker that we’ve been linked with today is Islam Slimani.
Slimani is 27 years old who plays as a striker for Portuguese club Sporting CP and the Algerian National Team. According to The Sun, Wenger has turned his attention to the striker, who has seen a sudden rise in form last term.
He has a buyout clause of £23.5 million and scored a whopping 27 goals last season and is seen as an alternative to Jamie Vardy by Arsenal. However, the clause expires on June 30, meaning Sporting could demand a higher fee next month.
The thing that makes it interesting is that Leicester City have also been linked with the striker and see him as an alternative to Jamie Vardy if he leaves. In addition to Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool, the report says Tottenham and Lazio could also make a formal offer for Slimani soon.
The manager of Sporting Lisbon Jorge Jesus claims that he is better than Vardy. Portuguese Local publication Desporto claims that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger “will offer the full amount” to land Slimani.
The purchase of Slimani looks like sounding the death knell for Theo Walcott’s Arsenal career with the Express reporting that Liverpool are preparing a lucrative package to snap up the 27-year-old England reject.
The injury-prone winger netted only nine goals in 41 appearances for the Gunners last season and according to the Express a “four-year deal is said to be on the table at Anfield” with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp confident of landing the winger.
The strikers Arsenal have been linked so far haven’t impressed in their first game of Euros. Alvaro Morata had a pretty bad day at the office and Romelu Lukaku also failing to score a goal. Big price tags on their head. Top quality strikers but just weren’t good enough when needed.
You can’t judge players based on just one game but certainly both of them weren’t at their best and didn’t give good auditions if we think of it that way.
There is a lack of top quality strikers around at the moment and signing a striker won’t be easy for a big club like Arsenal. I hope we don’t get too picky this summer and actually sign somebody.
