Arsenal are ready to beat Tottenham to the signing of Olympique Lyonnais striker Clinton N’Jie, reports the Metro.
Spurs were expected to sign the 21-year-old after making a £7m bid, but it now seems their North London rivals have entered the race for his signature. The Gunners may be a more enticing prospect than Mauricio Pochettino’s side, offering both Champions League football and the chance to work with the more renowned Arsene Wenger.
This will be a blow to the White Hart Lane outfit, who are in need of a striker to offer an alternative to first-choice front-man Harry Kane. The England international scored 31 goals in all club competitions last season, but it could be asking a lot of the youngster to repeat these heroics. Meanwhile, Roberto Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor are unlikely to offer much after contributing just three league goals between them last term, so more goals are needed if they are going to improve on their fifth place finish in the Premier League.
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N’Jie could certainly help them with their offensive play. The youngster scored seven goals and assisted the same number in 31 games last season. This is even more impressive when it is taken into account that just 16 of those appearances were starts.
At the Emirates the player would be less likely to be featuring in the starting XI than at their local rivals, with Olivier Giroud looking a comfortable first choice in the main striker role at the moment.. However, Wenger’s track record of developing young talent may attract the Cameroon international.
N’Jie could also be joined by Real Madrid ace Karim Benzema. The Metro have linked the Gunners to the 27-year-old, who netted 22 times in 47 matches last season. The France international is far more established than the Lyon starlet and would likely act as first choice while his younger counterpart would be one for the future.