HERE WE GO! Arsenal reached agreement with long-term transfer target as the free agent arrived on a five-years transfer deal
Arsenal have now made contact over the signing of a “composed” striker who’s scored 20 league goals already this season, according to a report.
Gunners searching for a striker
Mikel Arteta opted to risk waiting until the end of the season before bringing in a new striker rather than making a move in the January transfer window, which could well prove to be the wrong decision, with Kai Havertz being ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
With Gabriel Jesus also sidelined, Leandro Trossard was given the nod to spearhead the Gunners’ attack in Saturday’s 2-0 victory at Leicester City, and the Belgian assisted Mikel Merino’s second goal from out wide, but it remains to be seen whether the lack of an out-and-out striker will be an issue against stronger opposition.
Regardless of how Trossard performs, it seems likely that the Gunners will bring in a new striker this summer, having identified a number of targets, including RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui.
There has now been a new update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Retegui, with CaughtOffside reporting that the Gunners have already made contact with Atalanta to discuss a potential deal.
The north Londoners are said to be showing a strong interest in the striker, but there may be competition for his signature this summer, with the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain also interested.
Amid widespread interest in the forward, Atalanta are set to demand a fee of €60m (£50m), which would be relatively affordable for a top Premier League club, and likely cost much less than Alexander Isak or Sesko.
Arteta has a number of top strikers on his shortlist, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen also said to be of interest.
Retegui on fire in the Serie A
With 20 league goals to his name already this season, the Italy international is by far and away the top scorer in Serie A, and he is averaging a goal every 69 minutes, while he has also bagged three assists.
Over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 95th percentile when compared to his positional peers for goals per 90, having averaged 0.72, significantly outperforming his xG of 0.46.
Freiburg winger Vincenzo Grifo was full of praise for his compatriot after coming up against him back in 2023, saying: “Mateo Retegui is a very calm and composed guy.
“He was very concentrated and he deserved to score today as well, having played really well.”
The Atalanta star has really kicked on since then, having now proven himself in a major European league, so it is exciting news that Arsenal have made contact to discuss a deal.
An asking price of £50m is very reasonable for a player of Retegui’s quality, although the widespread interest in his signature means his value could rise before the summer, particularly if he continues his prolific form in front of goal.
