The new Martinelli: Arsenal now racing to sign "spectacular" £85m forward
da wazamba： Arsenal are now in the race to sign a “spectacular” £85m forward who’s been likened to Gabriel Martinelli, but there is set to be competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.
Gunners set sights on new winger
da pixbet： With the summer transfer window edging ever closer, it is becoming clear that Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his attacking options this summer, and a top-level striker is believed to be of particular interest.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku are all on the shortlist, with the latter player also capable of playing out wide, which is another area in which Arteta is looking to strengthen.
The Gunners have set their sights on two wingers who have been impressing in La Liga this season, namely Barcelona’s Raphinha and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, but there has now been a suggestion they may also take a risk on an up-and-coming Serie A star.
Related Talks held: Arsenal open negotiations to sign "amazing" 20 y/o wonderkid
The Gunners have set their sights on a defender, who they have followed for years.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are now in the race to sign Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, but a deal will not be cheap, as the Serie A side are looking to hold out for a fee of €100m (£85m), given their determination to keep hold of the youngster.
There may also be fierce competition for Yildiz’s signature, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea also being named as potential suitors, which could make it difficult to get a deal over the line.
The 19-year-old is touted as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli, given the Brazilian’s inconsistent form this season, and there are signs the Juventus starlet could be a like-for-like replacement.
"Spectacular" Yildiz compared to Martinelli
Martinelli may have been inconsistent this season, but the winger has still put in some top-quality performances, recently scoring in the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over Real Madrid to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
As such, it is a good sign that Yildiz has been compared to the 23-year-old by football scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “See a lot of similarities between Yıldız & Martinelli, not entirely the same but their finishing and dribbling style is similar.”
The Turkey international is enjoying an impressive campaign with Juventus, picking up eight goals and five assists, and he has previously received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded the starlet’s “high on-the-ball bravery to make spectacular solo runs”.
Yildiz clearly has a very bright future ahead of him, but there are doubts over whether his performances up to this point justify a £85m outlay, and with the youngster contracted until 2029, it may be very difficult to prise him away from Juventus.