Arsenal could be set to make a sensational £30 million bid for Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony as they look to add to their options at centre-forward.
According to the Daily Star‘s David Woods, Bony looks likely to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, and people behind the scenes at “the Gunners are urging [manager Arsene] Wenger to sanction a move” as they believe he “is the best option available at the moment.”
However, Arsene Wenger is unconvinced the 27-year-old is up for the task after failing to make the grade at City.
Bony netted 35 goals in 70 matches for Swansea City, including 20 Premier League goals in 2014, more than any other player during that calendar year.
He has struggled to fit in with the Sky Blues, though, and he scored just 11 in 46 games. Per the Times‘ Paul Hirst, it appears his days are numbered:
The Gunners are in need of another forward option to ease the goalscoring burden on Olivier Giroud, who has proved himself a worthy member of the squad but perhaps not good enough to warrant a starting berth if Arsenal have ambitions of winning the Premier League title.
Per Sky Sports News HQ, Wenger reaffirmed his desire to bring in another forward:
Arsenal have also targeted Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, but the Ligue 1 outfit are reportedly preparing to offer him a new £70,000-per-week deal that will see him become the club’s highest earner, per the Daily Mirror‘s Neil McLeman.
The Frenchman netted 23 goals in all competitions last season and has established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in Ligue 1 in recent years.
Here are some of his highlights from the last campaign:
As the transfer window wears on, Bony will look like an increasingly viable option for Arsenal if they’re unable to find someone—he’d likely be better than signing nobody and could be a decent acquisition if he can rediscover the form he enjoyed at Swansea.
However, given his lacklustre spell at City, paying £5 million more than the Sky Blues did to get him—even in today’s market—is a questionable move.
Though he may cost around £40 million, according to McLeman, the younger and more in-form Lacazette would be the obvious choice.
Arsenal should have little problem offering him a contract that far exceeds Lyon’s offer—and they should go all-out to get him.
[Source:- Bleacher report]
