The Arsenal transfer target Gonzalo Higuain is apparently set to return to Italy and join up with his team mates and the coaching staff of Napoli four days from now, after his involvement with the Argentina national team all the way to the final of the Copa America which they lost on penalties to the Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and his Chile side.
The president of Napoli, Aurelio De Laurentiis, has never been backwards about coming forwards and making bold statements about his club and their players and the ongoing transfer saga of Higuain is no different, and the president has been declaring his ultimate confidence that the striker will not be going anywhere unless a club activates the massive release clause of nearly 100 million euros.
Reading between the lines and using our experience of transfer deals of the past, it seems that his confidence might not be entirely correct. One telling thing for me was reported by ESPN yesterday, with De Laurentiis starting to talk about the player´s loyalty and suggesting that he would be betraying the Napoli fans if he left.
He also spoke about the rumours suggesting that it was the Italian champions Juventus and not Arsenal that was the most likely club to sign the Argentina international.
The Napoli supremo said, “Higuain will not go to Juve. In fact, it wouldn’t even be right for Higuain to go to any other Italian club.
“All this chit-chat is meaningless. Gonzalo has another two years on his contract and if nobody comes with an offer equal to his release clause then he’s staying at Napoli.
“There aren’t many clubs capable of paying that amount. Then we will have to see whether Higuain wants to betray this love that he seemed to have declared for the Neapolitans.
“At the moment, considering that he has not spoken and expressed his opinion, this situation that has been created is just a load of talk. Gonzalo will arrive in Dimaro [training camp] on July 25.”
If the only way that Napoli would sell was if the release clause was met then how could they have any say in which club it was? It sounds to me as though they are aware of Higuain’s willingness to leave, something that the Italian media are saying according to a Metro report, with the prolific forward said to be keen on either Arsenal or Juventus.
So is the president really hoping that it is Arsenal that offers enough money for them to agree a deal and that way he can appease the fans and not have to face Higuain in Serie A next season? There is one way for Arsene Wenger to find out, but will he do it? Perhaps Higuain will not be heading into Napoli on Monday after all….
Bob.
I don’t get what the twist is?
Maybe he wants another card, like in Blackjack, twist or stick?…. Or maybe his a Chubby Checker fan and wants us to “twist again, like we did last Summer” ? ?
hold the phone gonzalo… news just in…
arsenal yet again with highest season tickets in prem an europe.
id like to give a shout out to rayray my cuisin billy joe an all the swamp dellers
Clear as day light, Napoli will only sale once the release clause is met and probably if its done in good time for them to find a replacement and not last minute bids.
Is that something Arsene can push for, I don’t see it. Too costly for him plus his accustomed to last minute bids for players that can improve our striking force.
The man is terrified of buying prolific strikers these days.
Arsene is terrified of buying anyone above a above a certain value()!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr Wenger used this, or something very similar!
player = float(input(“Please enter the players last sale price here: £”)
if player > £40,000.01:
print(“Not interested”)
else:
print(“I may consider your last sale price on during the last 12 hours of the transfer
window”)
End if
The commitment showed by the Napoli president is really commendable considering the fact that using words like Betrayal are strong and a honour type situation.Kroenke is lucky to get Arsenal under him where idiots work for the club straight from selling him almost ownership to appointing a former MLS commissioner is beyond fans and Wenger is content with Arsenal’s position.
The most painful thing to experience as a Gunner, is for our title “challenge” to be over after 8 games of the new season….It just might go that way because of our lack of transfer activity. …If we ever had any intention of signing a new striker we should have signed one by now to integrate during the preseason…..The lack of respect for the fans by Wenger or Kroenke has never been more evident
I cannot see arsenal putting in a really big offer for higuain and nothing like €100m. In the last five years, the most they have taken out of cash reserves is £7m in any one year.
O really close enough to 100 million euros for a 29 year old the media must think we are mad or that MR wenger is desperate
He also mentioned that Atletico Madrid offered €60 million plus two players (a month ago) Which Napoli turned down and he also stated that he wanted to see what Arsenal will offer. Which obviously means that the cash plus Giroud rumour was aload of bull ?! ?
I read that Higuain wants out and that he is in a rebellion mood, theres Reports of Napoli not being able to get into direct contact with the player, as he is not answering his phone and that Napoli are worried about him going AWOL and not turning up for pre-season on the 25th..
If Walcott scores a hat-trick against the mighty Lens tomorrow, you know exactly what Wenger will say! ?
Errrrr.. Look! .. I don’t have to tell you that Errrr .. Walcott is a World class player… and Errrrr… If you watched the game, you could see that He is playing with confidence and Errr..
touching the ball very-well .. and looking Errrr … very sharp, because you – know he is a World class Striker! ?
* Gets up, puts cheque- book back into the inside pocket of his zipper coat… Gives a smug Wenger smile to the camera and legs it.
Spot on.
We aren’t going to get a striker. There is no chance.
winter is coming at the Emirates my friend ???arsenal are signing no one else we must just accept it
I think maybe Arsene lost the cheque books and too scare to say to anyone…
I would offer €50m + Giroud + Wenger
i would offer a kidney….
removed from sanogo in his sleep
Higuain is one of the World’s finest strikers and would have loved for him to play for us
BUT £79 million for a 29 year old is ridiculous because his value will depreciate very soon
There are very few options left
I would go for Lacazette and Mahrez. Those two would help increase our goal tally considerably and compete for 1st in the PL (along with a new CB)
Transfer fee of Both Lacazette and Mahrez could = almost same as Higuain
Offer £50 million plus Walcott, Sanogo, Debuchy
Those three players equals £240,000 per week (Theo=£140,000, Sanogo=£30,000, Debuchy = £70,000 per week)
Seems we are so interested in 29 year old strikers now as seen from Vardy and the “reported” or rumored interest Higuini, why not try 29 goals striker Kevin Gameiro for €40million from Sevilla.
– French
– Different from our strikers
– Fast
– Easier to get
But hurry, Athletico might snap him up and boy do they usually get it right when signing strikers.
What’s with this Njie mess making rounds now!
Bidding for Spurs academy players and getting turned down, surely this must be the usual nonsense from the media or have we hit lower than rock bottom.
when are they having trials at the Emirates maybe I can be ou saviour ???
Italian sports journalist Emanuele Giulianelli is claiming that Arsenal are about to make a “Mega Bid” on a striker (not Higuain, Icardi or Lacazette)
And we know from last summer he is accurate 100% of the time LOL
Im still dreaming of a big bid on Lewandowski, Greizmann or Aubemeyang but I guess i will only be dreaming
Higuain isn’t coming to Arsenal for anywhere near that release clause. If he were available for £30-35 million AW might…I stress MIGHT be interested.
This is just this years big name striker story for click bait and giggles.
Last time it was Benzema…………..and the little Twitter troll convincing everyone he was coming to Arsenal….and he didn’t.
I’m back in hibernation until credible news of any notable signing surfaces (a long wait I feel..).
the reason he’s confident of Tiguan going nowhere is that he knows Wenger is too cheap to pay what a player is worth, and that gadzidis could not negotiate to save his life…
wenger & Gadzidis, the transfer dream team !!!
As i understand it, higuains agent has said that higuain will not be renewing his contract with napoli which runs out in 2018.
Napoli will presumably sell this year or next. At the moment napoli are in the driving seat, if a good enough offer comes in they will sell, if not then they can wait till next year. Of course any buying.club will have to agree personal terms with higuain. Buying this year sounds expensive both in terms of transfer fee and wages, particularly as higuan has just had a good season.
At the moment Napoli seem to be in talk the price up mood. We could make an offer but I doubt it would be enough for napoli to sell so I suspect it will be end of transfer window or not at all.