Arsenal demand €10million from Barcelona for ‘favourite’ January target

It is no top secret that Barcelona are looking to bolster their attacking options in the January transfer window, with a new centre-forward being one of the priorities.

Sergio Aguero getting sidelined due to a heart condition, coupled with the injury problems of Ansu Fati, Martin Braithwaite mean the Catalans need to address the issue at the earliest. More so, considering that Luuk de Jong finds himself out of favour and could be moved on at the earliest possible.

A number of players have been linked with a move to Camp Nou in the winter, including Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette. A report from El Nacional claims that the 30-year-old is currently the ‘favourite’ option for Barcelona, ahead of Beijing Guoan’s Cedric Bakambu, despite the latter being set to become a free agent in January.

As for Lacazette, he is in the final year of his contract with Arsenal. There have been no indications of him being handed a new contract as of yet, meaning he could leave the club on a free transfer next summer or secure an exit for a bargain fee in January.

And, it seems like Barca would consider the second possibility, given their urgent need for a new centre-forward. The Frenchman is a player that the club are familiar with, having tried to sign him back when he still played for Olympique Lyon.

Since joining Arsenal in 2017, the 30-year-old goalscorer has done fairly well but has often had to play second-fiddle to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Lacazette finished the last season as the Gunners’ top scorer and has plenty of experience at the highest level.

While he might not be a spring chicken, the ex-Lyon forward can be a decent stop-gap solution for Barca to consider. However, as per the report, Arsenal have set an asking price of €10million for their striker.

Given Barcelona’s delicate financial situation, it will be interesting to see if they are willing to meet that valuation or decide to wait till the end of the season to sign Lacazette for free.