Arsenal are in the market for attacking reinforcements and have set their sights on Brighton & hove Albion’s Joao Pedro to fill a spot in their squad. As per reports from Caught Offside, the Gunners will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, with both clubs admirers of the Brazilian forward.
The 23-year-old has been impressive for Brighton this season, scoring goals against the likes of Arsenal, City and also Manchester United in the Premier League. He has also provided three assists in his 10 appearances so far as he continues to grow from strength to strength.
All three rivals believe they can provide Pedro with the right environment to make the step up to the next level and develop into an elite player under their watch. However, signing him will not be easy as the report suggests the Seagulls are holding out for a fee upwards of €55m for their player. Considering there are three top clubs involved, the fee is bound to rise higher.
Would Arsenal invest a big sum in Joao Pedro?
The Gunners have done business with Brighton in the past when they signed Ben White for a similar fee as they are demanding for Joao Pedro. They have also signed attacker Leandro Trossard from the Seagulls for a fee in the region of €20m as the clubs share good relations.
With Gunners manager Mikel Arteta carrying the reputation of being great with developing young attackers, this could be a factor that tempts Joao Pedro and his camp for making the move. He can play centrally as a lone striker, as a false nine, as well as an attacking midfielder as per the demands of the squad.
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These are some of the positions Arsenal are looking to have sufficient cover for as Arteta looks to add the final touches to his squad. However, it remains to be seen if the Gunners show any urgency in making the move, with the aforementioned report stating Liverpool could move as soon as January.
It will be interesting to see how this saga pans out.
