A colossal 6ft 5 player could be tempted to join Arsenal this summer, following a great season at his club and with a £55 million price tag set for him.
Edu makes Arsenal transfer admission with striker targeted
Sporting director Edu Gaspar, speaking to the media recently, admitted that transfer planning for this window has been ongoing since as far back as January.
Arsenal ready bid for £51 million Kompany target as board aim to act fast
The north Londoners are keen to beat Bayern Munich to his signature.
ByEmilio Galantini
The Brazilian has a very clear idea of the player type he wishes to bring to Arsenal when the window reopens on June 14, coming after Mikel Arteta came to within a whisker of clinching Arsenal's first Premier League title in 20 years.
They fell just short courtesy of one of England's greatest-ever sides in a Man City team lead by Pep Guardiola, but Arsenal's rise over the last few seasons has been absolutely remarkable considering where they were.
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea
West Ham 0-6 Arsenal
Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 1-0 Man City
Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United
The Gunners, after two failed title charges, will attempt to make it third-time-lucky next season, as they aim to win the league for the first time since 2004. Fresh faces to bolster Arteta's squad will be imperative to maintain their place among England's elite, with Edu prepared to spearhead Arsenal's transfer pursuits.
"You can’t sign players for the sake of signing. This has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks," said Edu.
"There on my desk, I have reports with more than 180 pages on a player. It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, if you have Premier League experience, if you will be able to adapt. It has everything.
"We analyse our weaknesses, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. What I am going to do now, we have been discussing since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s alone. It belongs to a whole group."
One of the key areas which Arsenal want to address is the centre-forward position, despite the north Londoners scoring 90-plus goals in the league alone last season. Both Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah face uncertain futures at Hale End, with Arsenal apparently set to sign an "important" new striker this summer.
A plethora of names have already been linked, including RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko who has a £55 million release clause.
"Great" Benjamin Sesko could be tempted to join Arsenal
The Slovenia international bagged 18 goals in all competitions for Leipzig last season, and the 6ft 5 star is believed to be a target for Arsenal. Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones claims Sesko could be tempted to join Arsenal and leave Leipzig.
"My hunch is that Arsenal weren’t planning to do business as soon as the window opens in mid-June, but with Sesko that would be necessary," said Jones.
"So this is something they have to decide right now. If Arsenal do put their foot down on this one then he’ll be tempted to go for it. They could definitely turn his head and he would be a great addition to that squad."
