Arsenal are in talks with Inter Milan about signing Ivan Perisic, according to the BBC and Sky Italy.
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Perisic, 29, is said to be keen on an exit from Inter and the Croatian winger has long been linked with a move to Manchester United. However, per the reports, Arsenal want to loan Perisic initially and then an option to buy him for $46.2 million in the summer.
He has scored three goals and added five assists in 25 appearances in all competitions for Inter this season, and shone at the World Cup as Croatia were runners up.
Make sure to tune-in for our special Transfer Deadline Day show on NBCSN on Thursday, Jan. 31 from 5 p.m. ET as we focus on all of the moves across the Premier League in the January window. You can stream the show live online right here.
The reports go on to state that Inter only want to sell Perisic in January and will not loan him out.
Unai Emery has previously said that Arsenal could only afford loan deals in January, which enraged fans but is understandable given their huge outlay on Mesut Ozil’s new contract, plus bringing in Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in recent seasons.
Is this a deal which the Gunners really need to do?
They’re losing Aaron Ramsey in the summer on a free transfer to Juventus and it appears that Denis Suarez will arrive from Barcelona to replace him in central midfield. Suarez is linked with a loan move before the window shuts, but a midfielder, nor a winger, shouldn’t be high on Emery’s wish list.
With several poor defensive displays this season, plus a recent batch of injuries, beefing up defensive options should surely be the long-term plan for Emery. Maybe he can’t get in the defenders he wants in January so is instead looking elsewhere to strengthen, and there’s no doubting Perisic’s pedigree.
But with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi, Ozil, Lacazette and Aubameyang around in the attacking areas and Emery playing narrow 4-3-2-1 or 3-4-2-1 formations, bringing in Perisic doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Then again, Arsenal gonna Arsenal…
Sky Sports claim that West Ham United will break their transfer record to bring in Maxi Gomez from Celta Vigo.
Gomez, 22, has a release clause in his contract of over $57 million and per the report he could sign for West Ham in January and then be loaned back to Celta Vigo for the rest of the season. The La Liga outfit is struggling in the table and need Gomez’s goals to help with their bid against relegation.
Given the situation regarding Marko Arnautovic, who has now said he will remain at West Ham despite a huge offer to go and play in China, this would be a smart move from the Hammers.
Securing Gomez ahead of the summer is smart business, as the Uruguayan forward will be in demand after scoring 26 La Liga goals for a struggling Celta side over the past season-and-a-half. Gomez is a powerful forward who can hold up the ball and stretch defenses with runs in-behind, and with Andy Carroll out of contract in the summer, Arnautovic potentially leaving and Javier Hernandez reportedly wanting to leave in January, Manuel Pellegrini needs to have some long-term stability up top.
Following the big-money signing of Felipe Anderson last summer, it is clear West Ham are now buying quality over quantity. And after the signing of free agent Samir Nasri, Declan Rice signing a new long-term contract and the additions of Diop, Fabianski and Balbuena last summer, the Hammers are suddenly making plenty of smart moves in the transfer market.
That is not something we could say often, if at all, about their dealings in recent years.
