Gunners step up efforts to sign PSG star.
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Arsenal look set to table a mammoth £50m bid for Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani after learning that the player wants permission to hold contract talks with the club this summer.
The Gunners are one of a number of sides being linked with the Uruguayan at the moment, and it is now understood that they are leading the chase to snap him up in this transfer window after being told of his desire to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Cavani’s agent revealed enquiries from both Arsenal and Liverpool earlier this week, and confirmed that the 27-year-old was interested in sealing a move to the Premier League after a difficult first season in Ligue 1.
Although the former Napoli man managed 25 goals in all competitions, it is widely accepted that he struggled to hit top form at the Parc des Princes after initially emerging as one of the best strikers in the world during his time at previous club Napoli, and he looks like being granted an exit after becoming surplus to requirements at PSG.
Arsenal are in the market for new signings upfront as they eye an upgrade on Olivier Giroud in that lone centre-forward role, and Cavani would no doubt represent another exciting investment by the north London club following the recent signings of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, which look to have put the Gunners back among the big boys again in terms of spending money on world class players.
A host of other top clubs have been linked with Cavani this summer, but it now seems that the player himself has specifically requested the chance to join Arsenal after holding preliminary talks with Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis.
Funds for this move may be raised by the sales of the likes of Santi Cazorla, linked with Atletico Madrid, and Lukas Podolski, who has emerged as a target for Galatasaray. In addition, an extra £15m should come in as Thomas Vermaelen completes his move to Barcelona.
It is thought that £50m will prove enough to persuade PSG to part with Cavani, with the club keen to bring some money in this summer to adhere to Uefa’s Financial Fair Play laws.
The French champions are keen on signing either Angel Di Maria, Eden Hazard or Marco Reus, but will need to sell before they can buy, with Cavani the first in the firing line for manager Laurent Blanc.
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