HERE WE GO: Arsenal completes first major summer transfer signing as striker completes medical to sign six-years deal with the Gunners
Arsenal have reportedly made a Chelsea target a ‘priority’ for the summer, and talks could ‘move quickly’ for the star Bundesliga forward.
Arsenal are putting a lot of their attention into making a striker signing this summer. They want to upgrade on Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, both of whom were not incredible last season, and then spent periods on the sidelines.
But while Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres are being pursued up top, there is also a desire to recruit out wide, for an alternative to Gabriel Martinelli.
According to Caught Offside, Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens is now becoming one of Arsenal’s ‘priorities’.
It’s been suggested the Gunners are taking ‘concrete steps’ in their pursuit of the Englishman. The report suggests he could be a better option for them than Nico Williams and Kenan Yildiz.
Gittens reportedly has an asking price of around €60million (£51.3m) and there are ‘internal discussions’ ongoing at the Emirates in regards to the transfer.
While talks are at an early stage, Arsenal are ‘serious’ and could ‘move quickly if the right opportunity arises’.
The report suggests that the battle between the Gunners and Chelsea is ‘heating up’. Indeed, they have been the club most heavily linked with Gittens of late.
Offers of £30million and then £46.5million were turned away by Dortmund, and Chelsea were unwilling to go above that prior to the Club World Cup, as they felt the German club were trying to prey on their want to sign the winger for the tournament.
As such, they stopped going after him prior to the tournament, but could return now. It’s believed that Gittens is eager for a move to Chelsea, but it’s not known if they’ll be able to agree a deal.
Indeed, it was suggested of late that the Dortmund forward was ‘literally waiting’ for a call from the Blues.
They might have the upper hand in the player’s view, but if Chelsea don’t manage to agree a deal and Arsenal get the hijack done, whether Gittens would be open to making a move to the Gunners is not yet known.
Gittens is still focussed on Dortmund at the moment, having come on off the bench against Fluminense in his side’s Club World Cup opener.
