Arsenal speeds up £80m signing plan by a year after a personal phone call
Reports say Arsenal are planning to sign an £80 million striker a whole year earlier than planned after their loss in the Champions League final. The Gunners were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest after a 1-1 draw in extra time. Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes both missed penalties, and Arsenal lost 4-3 in the shootout.
Most fans praised Mikel Arteta’s team for their strong defense throughout the match, but some were worried about the team’s attacking power, especially after Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were taken off. By the end, Arsenal’s front three were Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, and Gabriel Martinelli. They pushed hard but didn’t create many clear chances.
Arsenal have already been linked with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, but he would probably cost nearly £100 million — the same fee Villa got from Manchester City for Jack Grealish in 2021. Now, Arsenal seem to be focusing on another Premier League striker. Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi scored 13 goals in his first season and helped the club qualify for Europe for the first time ever.
Last week, it was said that Bournemouth feel confident they can keep Kroupi for another year thanks to their European qualification. The i Paper says Manchester City also want Kroupi but know he won’t be for sale until next summer. Famous football journalist Fabrizio Romano said on his YouTube channel that Arsenal and Manchester City have already shown interest, and even Paris Saint-Germain like him too. He added that which team Kroupi ends up with could affect other transfers, like PSG’s possible move for Julian Alvarez.
Speaking of Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid striker linked to Arsenal seems close to joining Barcelona. Reports say he has agreed to a five-year deal at Camp Nou, but Atletico are upset and have called out Barcelona on social media for how they handled the transfer. In a funny move, Atletico shared fake transfer offers for Barcelona players, making jokes about sending concert tickets and sunflower seeds as part of the deals.
All in all, Arsenal are working hard behind the scenes to strengthen their squad and bring in top talent soon!