Arsenal are desperately seeking a top striker to add to their options this summer, but have missed out on so many targets already, it is becoming quite a joke…
We have appeared to be closing on deals to sign Alvaro Morata, Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette already since the end of the previous season, and all look less and less likely to happen at present.
Now Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa has now set himself on staying put in Brazil, in order to gain more experience before moving abroad.
The 19 year-old is highly rated at his current club, and was given his nickname ‘Gabigol’ having scored 600 goals for Santos at youth levels.
Chelsea had been strongly linked with a deal to sign him recently also, but regardless of his options, has decided it is not the time to be moving to Europe.
The striker has a £42 Million release clause in his deal which he signed in 2014 and runs out in 2019, and there is no talk of a new deal at present.
Our options to sign this summer for an attacking role are slimming by the day, and it looks likely that two strikers we may have distanced ourselves from, Carlos Bacca and Vincent Jansson, could also be closing on moves to rival London clubs West Ham and Tottenham.
I am quite unhappy that Spurs appear to have been given a clear road to sign the Eridivisie top goalscorer, while we have simply chased targets that Arsene Wenger is not able to agree deals for.
Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata could still be landed, but the fees needed to land these players is huge, but if things continue, the French manager may be forced to finally splash the cash needed to bring in one of these stars.
It still remains to be seen whether Wenger would rather go without a striker, which he is clearly working on signing, or whether he will finally dig deep and splash out on one of the above…
Does anyone think this could be the summer when he finally spends £50M+ on a forward?