The Porto striker Jackson Martinez has been linked with Arsenal for nearly a year, but it was recently thought that the Gunners had lost any chance of signing him as his agent and his club had begun discussions with AC Milan regarding a move to Serie A.
But now it appears that Martinez is stalling on completing the move as he is still considering other available options, and with more than two months left of the transfer window there is no reason to rush into making any concrete decisions yet.
Jackson’s agent Luiz Pompeo tried to put the uncertainty into words yeterday: “It’s very hard to say exactly where we stand,” Pompeo told Tuttomercatoweb. “Milan were here, and we talked to them, but we haven’t found a definitive agreement. It could come in a few days.
“Jackson is a top player, there are a lot of teams after him, not just Milan. We’re open to all teams.
“Every opportunity is important for Jackson, because we respect everyone who wants to talk to us. Nothing is certain, though Milan is a huge club, everyone would like to play there.”
“It’s normal,” he concluded. “It’s not just about money, but how important of a player Jackson is.
“It’s not a money problem, it’s normal that in a deal like this there has to be time to reflect, to think, to decide.
“If Milan were to take Jackson, it would be for him to become Serie A top scorer, therefore, taking a long time over it is normal. But there’s no problem between us.”
It is well-known that Serie A clubs are currently struggling to compete with the financial firepower of other leagues right now, so I could imagine Milan maybe not offering anywhere near what Arsenal could afford. Has Wenger finally moved in to try and get Martinez to the Emirates?