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Arsenal eyeing £23m move for 31-goal international striker

By on May 24, 2016

The Mirror are reporting that Arsenal are among the clubs showing a keen interest in signing Sporting Lisbon’s £23m-rated striker Islam Slimani this summer.

Arsene Wenger has already hinted that he’ll look to bring in another striker after losing Danny Welbeck for the majority of next season due to a serious knee injury.

Alvaro Morata has been strongly linked with a move to the Emirates with Spanish outlet AS reporting yesterday that we’re in pole position to sign the 23-year-old hitman.

However, it looks as though Wenger is lining-up alternative targets in-case we miss out on the Spanish international as the Mirror are carrying a report that suggests we’re interested in signing Sporting Lisbon hitman Islam Slimani.

The Algerian international has just come off the back of a sensational campaign that saw him score 31 goals and provide 6 assists in 46 appearances to help guide Lisbon to a second  placed finish in the Primeira Liga behind eventual champions Benfica.

That form has supposedly attracted interest from Arsenal but the newspaper suggests that we’ll have to pay the 27-year-old’s £23.25m (€30m) buyout clause if we’re to lure him away from Portugal this summer.

Sporting head coach Jorge Jesus is quoted by the Mirror as saying:

“I would like for Slimani to stay. This area is for the president. The coach also has a say, and [the Sporting president] knows my opinion.

“At present, 30 million for a player like Slimani is nothing.”

True, £23.25m for a striker who scores 31 goals a season is nothing in today’s market, but can Slimani replicate that sort of form in the Premier League?

It’s easy to get carried away with the number of goals a player scores in weak league’s like the Portuguese Primeira Liga but many struggle when they come to England, so Slimani would still be a gamble.

7 Comments

  1. APinto

    May 24, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Well, apart teams like Maritimo or Belenenses, most teams in portuguease league have prety decent defences. As for Slimani, check how many goals he scored this season only against FCPorto, SLBenfica or SCBraga. These teams have very solid defences. Slimani can score anywere against anybody. I wish he wold not leave SportingCP but 30M euro are peanuts for brit teams. Jonas, from slbenfica scored more but you know something funny? He didnt score 1 (ONE) goal against Sporting nor Porto EVER. Statistics doesnt tell all. You must know Portuguease league to understant. Unfortunately nobody cares to listen… Look for Pippo Russo papers and you’ll start to get the tip of the iceberg.

  2. steven unwin

    May 25, 2016 at 10:56 am

    PLEASE SIGN HIM, DO NOT SIGN THAT MORARTA LEAVE HIM WERE HE IS.

  3. ibanga

    May 25, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    pls arsenal sign him is a very good player abeg I the abeg we no want hear story next season thank u

  4. Chris

    May 25, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    Do like Slimani but just glad we’ve got Xhaka over the line for starters. Should finally solve the DM issue plus he can score goals like this! http://sport.bt.com/arsenal-fans-did-you-know-25m-new-boy-had-this-in-his-locker-91364064240868

  5. Peter Benovsky

    May 25, 2016 at 10:35 pm

    Xhaka super. Must sell Ramsey, Oxlade, Walcott, Campbell and Iwobi. These are players an average leveland would be suitable for Southampton and West Ham. We need Kante and Mahrez. On the top we need player like SUAREZ or LEVANDOVSKY. We have Koscielny, Bellerin, Coquelin, Cazorla, Xhaka, Wilshere and Elneny,also Welbeck, Ozil and the great Sanchez. Arsenal have to buy another goalkeeper because Ospina was mediocre and the Czech prevent mistakes. I would recommend TIM KRUL from Newcastle. We need a left back like Mascherano. Must be sign a central stopper as Mats HUMMELS!!!

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