Gonzalo Higuain is refusing to sign a new contract with Napoli as he looks to force a move away from his club, while Arsenal continue to try and land a new striker.
The Gunners have so far failed with bids to sign Jamie Vardy and Alvaro Morata, and are believed to be actively seeking a striker to bolster their options ahead of the coming campaign.
Higuain has been amongst the names most wanted at the Emirates Stadium, but Napoli are known to be stubborn in negotiation, and unlikely to budge on their asking price.
The club are not believed to be willing to sell for anything under his minimum fee release clause, which was previously revealed as €100 Million.
The Napoli president previously said: “I’d say that Higuain is not to be taken. He’s ours and we keep him. Also because in his contract there is a release clause of €100m.”
The player’s agent, and brother, has since stated that Gonzalo will not be willing to sign a new deal with his current club Napoli, and even talks of the possibility of leaving for free in two years time.
“Gonzalo [Higuain] won’t renew his contract with Napoli,’ Nicolas Higuain told Radio Continental.
“Napoli are currently asking for the payment of his release clause as a condition for his departure, but Gonzalo and I decided not to extend the deal.
“We’ll see what happens next year, we could even wait until the contract’s expiry date.”
Arsenal have always attempted to be shrewd in the transfer market, but should they fail to bring in a challenger for Olivier Giroud, they could well struggle to keep tabs on their rivals this season, especially with the arrivals of top managers Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
Should Arsenal just stump up the funds needed to land Higuain this summer? Do you believe Napoli could be convinced to sell for a more reasonable fee?