Arsenal have expressed their desire to sign Joaquin Correa, although Lazio have set an astounding asking price of €40 million – €45 million.
According to Nicolo Schira, Arsenal have set their sights on Joaquin Correa. The Lazio attacker has attracted the interest of Mikel Arteta, who is desperate to bolster his options in the final third, following a disastrous 2020/21 campaign.
The Serie A outfit, though, have slapped an exorbitant €40 million – €45 million price tag on their prized forward, who has impressed the onlookers with his productivity this past season.
A product of the famed Estudiantes youth academy in his native Argentina, Joaquin Correa has come a long way since his move to Italy in 2015. Although he was not particularly a huge success at Sampdoria or Sevilla, the 26-year-old has thrived at Lazio, notching up 117 competitive appearances.
During his time in Rome, Correa has scored 30 goals while providing 18 assists. The Argentine international was involved in a total of 16 goals past this season, helping Lazio secure a spot in Europa League next term. The attacker’s performances have also earned him a place in the Argentina squad for the upcoming Copa America.
It has put Arsenal on red alert as well, as the north London giants brace themselves for a busy summer ahead. They have recently missed out on the signing of Emiliano Buendia to Aston Villa, leaving Arteta even more frustrated.
Although the Spaniard is primarily looking for a creative playmaker, someone like Joaquin Correa could be an interesting option. The Lazio star, though a secondary forward by trade, offers a lot of productivity to the table, particularly because of his ability to play anywhere across the final third.
A fee of at least €40 million, though, might rule Arsenal out of the running. The club is struggling in the aftermath of the pandemic and are primarily relying on player sales as means to generate revenue. Granit Xhaka, for one, has been tipped to leave the Emirates, amid interest from AS Roma.
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Along with Xhaka, the likes of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi are expected to depart as well, with the latter being linked with a move to Marseille. One would imagine Arteta would be keen on selling Willian as well, after a disastrous debut season at Arsenal.
However, the Gunners might need to get lucky in order to be able to get rid of so many fringe players. Their failure to do so last summer cost them a few more potential signings, and it will be interesting to see if Arsenal face a similar scenario this time around.
