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Arsenal ‘set their sights’ on signing £72m La Liga attacker – report

By on August 9, 2016

According to Gazetta dello Sport, Arsenal have ‘set their sights’ on signing Real Madrid attacker James Rodriguez this summer.

Arsene Wenger is currently focussing his attention on signing a new centre-back ahead of the new season while a clinical striker is also a priority for the boss before the close of the transfer window.

However, we’ve also been strongly tipped to bring in another attacking midfielder with EuroSport FR claiming earlier today that Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez has made is clear he wants to join Arsenal this summer.

Those claims are refuted by Gazetta dello Sport, who claim that we’ve now turned our attention to signing Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez after apparently struggling to get a deal agreed for Mahrez’s signature.

The Italian outlet say that Madrid are ready to sell the Colombian international as he’s not part of Zinedine Zidane’s first team plans after making just 17 starts under the French coach last season.

Rodriguez is set to drop further down the pecking order at the Bernabeu after Zidane promoted highly-rated attacker Marco Asensio so it looks like the 25-year-old is on the market during the closing weeks of the summer window.

I’m a big fan of the Colombians and think he’d be a fine addition to our attack but I personally don’t see us being able to bring him to north London this summer.

Our priority is to sign a centre-back and striker and we’re going to need to spend close to £60m if reports are to be believed landing Wenger’s prime targets – £20m on Mustafi and around £40m on Lacazette.

That would take our summer spending close to £100m when you include Xhaka, Holding and Asano so I don’t for one minute think Wenger will then go and spend another huge sum signing Rodriguez.

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The Daily Star reports that an unnamed England club has already bid £72m for the Madrid man, so there’s no way we’ll pursue Rodriguez at that sort of money if we’re also buying a big-money striker.

So, as nice as it is to be linked with players like Rodriguez, I am certainly not getting my hopes up that we’ll see him wearing the famous Red & White this season….