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Wenger plotting stunning £60m swoop for world class striker – report

By on August 23, 2016

According to a report by Squawka, Arsene Wenger has been secretly plotting a sensational £60m swoop for Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann this summer.

The boss has been hammered by supporters on social media for not bringing in a top class striker or centre-back yet this summer despite being linked with a number of players in recent weeks.

However, journalist Greg Stobart has claimed in his Squawka article today that Wenger has been working on a deal for Griezmann behind the scenes and is prepared to spend more than £60m signing the French international.

Obviously Atletico Madrid aren’t going to let the 25-year-old leave without having a replacement lined-up and the report suggests the Spaniard’s will allow Griezmann to join Arsenal if they can sign Diego Costa from Chelsea.

That potential deal has been flying around all summer but Squawka claim that the Blues will only sell the Spanish international if they can sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton.

Again, that’s a deal that’s been dragging on for weeks and it looks at though our entire hopes of pulling off a major coup and signing Griezmann rely on Chelsea managing to lure Lukaku away from Goodison Park.

Unfortunately, Everton have been demanding crazy money for the Belgian international and boss Ronald Koeman said over the weekend that Lukaku had indicated he was happy to stay at the club.

So Chelsea’s hopes of signing Lukaku appear dead in the water, which means Costa won’t be heading back to Spain and Griezmann won’t be allowed to complete a stunning move to Arsenal. That’s how the story goes anyway.

It’s difficult to know how much truth there is behind this Squawka report but it does seem to make sense. Wenger has been saying all summer that he’s prepared to spend if the right player becomes available and wasn’t going to spend over the odds just for the sake of it.

He wants a striker who is top class and I genuinely think he would spend huge money if a worldie like Griezmann was on the market. Many fans will immediately say ‘why would he join Arsenal?’ but the report claims that Arsene was quietly confident that his compatriot was open to moving to London.

Remember the boss was captured speaking with Griezmann during the Euro’s?

Wenger has always said he won’t pay over the odds unless the player is worth it and a prime example is Lacazette. Apparently Lyon now want around £50m-£60m for him, and Arsene is understandably refusing to pay that kind of money because he’s not an elite striker.

MORE: Player stalls on move after Arsenal make late enquiry

Griezmann is a different class to Lacazette so would certainly be worth a fee of £60m in today’s market and the 25-year-old would be an amazing signing as he’s now one of the best forward’s in world football.

However, this deal looks to be a pipe dream now as it would take a miracle for Lukaku -> Chelsea and Costa -> Atletico to happen to allow Griezmann to move to the Emirates.

It’s a real shame as I think Wenger wants to land a world class striker but the fact is they are extremely difficult to sign, and we’re now going to be left paying over the odds for someone not much better than Giroud, taking a punt on a youngster or going with what we’ve got.

12 Comments

  1. Kevvy

    August 23, 2016 at 8:15 pm

    Ha ha ha……Either a bonkers story, or, Wenger is even more deluded than we all thought. £60m would never be enough to get Griezman, even before the stupid summer season began. Why would he come to Arsenal, why indeed when he’s already at a better performing club. It relies on too many other bits falling into place. This is just another of Wenger’s pipe dreams, we never get players that clubs want to keep, only those that are surplus to their requirements, like it or not, Sanchez, Ozil and Cech were not first choice players at their clubs and RM, Barca, and Chelsea were happy to sell.

  2. Nicolas Odey

    August 23, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    Arsene Wenger stop decieving yourself thinking you are decieving the fans. You have done this several seasons, so we know the game you are trying to play on us. All i know is that one day you must surely leave the club for us.

  3. ekitoe paul

    August 24, 2016 at 3:36 am

    Another season Arsene Wenger will kill more Arsenal fans in Kenya’

  4. Werner

    August 24, 2016 at 6:49 am

    What a load of crap. Now even the papers are helping Wenger with excuses. Let’s face it Wenger is got no clue what he is doing. In the league and transfer market

    • taremwa.r

      August 24, 2016 at 7:34 am

      The way a fan of football would celebrate after his club of choice has taken a trophie, thats how i will celebrate after Asene wenger has left Arsenal.

  5. Wolfgang

    August 24, 2016 at 11:21 am

    This guy has been given so much extra time to get the gunners going
    and has failed repeatedly.I wonder when the board in the face of
    overwhelming evidence that he is past his expiry date will have the guts to fire him.
    You can never find any top class manager lasting more than 5 to years at any club without being sacked for failing to challenge.
    This could be the make or break season for him. Don’t think for a moment winning the epl is within his reach. Last season was the best and he blew it.
    I doubt he can make any impact this season with all the big guns blazing.

  6. Pingback: Arsenal turn attention to Serie A star as Wenger continues CB search | Arsenal Station | Arsenal FC News

  7. bonaroca

    August 24, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    Bonaroca:- While on paper this is all good news,which every Arsenal supporter
    would like to hear and have in the team, in my opinion this is just pure
    a dream which everyone would like to happen. But so much hope and rubbish
    have been delivered to those Arsenal supporters that it would be a miracle
    if it ever happened.

  8. Mrrickieplus22

    August 24, 2016 at 3:45 pm

    Wenger is like most African leaders of today. perhaps the grandfather of our notorious African leader who are anti development, human rights, change, and assumed they are the most privileged among God’s creations. We appreciate all that you have done at your personal level and that of the club but remember development comes with active and viable change both in minds and physically and therefore is not a personal club regardless of your shares in the club. listen to the cry of the fans whose physical presence at the stadium motivates players. be informed that we are not interested in top four finishes but rather a real trophy and the kind team arsenal has even if given 20 years can never take the Barclay’s premier league. money brings money so spend and enjoy the fruits of spending

  9. shambala

    August 24, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    Wenger is just playing games with fans for he won’t buy any defender & striker. He plans to use Holding until the not so dependable Gabriel comes back . On the striker , he even thinks useless Walcott will come good & Giroud expected to do better than last season. The use of Sanchez as a striker is a non starter for the player looks terrible lost . We should embrace ourselves for a long hard season.

  10. Pingback: Arsenal's move for £20m defender thwarted by Jose Mourinho | Arsenal Station | Arsenal FC News

  11. Carl

    August 24, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    Wishful thinking…. don’t see any signings happening in this transfer market. Another disappointing campaign. How is it possible that teams which are not competing in CL can still draw players to there clubs.

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