Arsenal in Advanced Talks with £22m Striker
Gonzalo Higuain's father and agent Jorge has revealed that the Gunners are in advanced talks with Real Madrid over a move for his son. He also insisted that Juventus are not out of the race and can yet make a sizeable bid for the Argentine.
"Nothing has been signed yet but I can assure you there are advanced talks between the clubs. Real Madrid will decide. No agreement will be signed until one of the interested clubs reaches a deal with them. I'm sure that Arsenal's offer will be strong, as well as Juventus'," Jorge told Gazzetta dello Sport.
However, a deal is unlikely to be put to paper until a manager is appointed at Real Madrid, who are currently waiting on the future of Carlo Ancelotti. The former Chelsea manager will be allowed to leave French giants Paris Saint-Germain when they find a replacement, with former France manager Laurent Blanc currently in pole position to land the job. Blanc recently revealed in an interview that discussions will be on going next week and there is a "good chance" that he will sign.
"I'll be in Paris on Monday for discussions. There is a good chance that I will sign. I cannot say much more for now, we'll know more later in the week. PSG is a great opportunity, it is a very good club. This is very interesting," Blanc said.
The Gunners are looking to seal a deal for the striker before their Asia tour which commences in July and have also stepped up their interest in Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini. Arsenal are expected to trigger the Belgian's £23m release clause and are reportedly willing to offer him a new contract with better terms, according to Goal.com. Arsene Wenger has a £70m transfer kitty to spend in the summer and is looking to bolster his side to challenge for the title next season.
Meanwhile, former Tottenham striker Terry Gibson believes that Higuain will be a perfect fit for the Gunners and help them get back to their glory days.
"He's perfectly suited for the Premier League. He's got a good physique, is a really tidy all-round footballer and a great finisher. He'll settle in the Premier League well with his style of play. He's not a Lionel Messi or a Cristiano Ronaldo, he's more of a Radamel Falcao, just an out-and-out number nine. He's what Arsenal need. They have a lot of players who can keep and move the ball but they need a focal point up front and he can provide that," Gibson said.
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