Arsenal are among the clubs to establish contact with Yuri Alberto’s agent, as a move to Europe for the striker looks increasingly likely.
According to Goal Brazil, Arsenal have made contact with Yuri Alberto’s agent Andre Cury over a move for the striker, possibly in the January window.
Yuri Alberto has been progressing well at Brazilian side Internacional and has been in prolific form. A haul of 19 goals in 54 appearances across all competitions has been enough to attract the attention of English and European clubs.
Shakhtar Donetsk are mentioned in the list of interested parties, as the Ukrainian outfit are known to nurture young Brazilian talent. They might try to make a considerable offer for the forward, although they might lose out in the hunt amid substantial interest from Spanish and English clubs.
Manchester City have reportedly approached Internacional for Alberto earlier, although they could be looking at him as an alternative to their other centre-forward targets. However, as seen in the previous window, the Premier League champions could yet sign the forward and help him develop at other City Football Group clubs in the continent.
Everton are also understood to be in the race as Rafael Benitez is keen to add a young attacker to his squad. However, Arsenal seem to have taken the march on their rivals in the race for Alberto. The Gunners and Shakhtar are reportedly in contact with the player’s agent Andre Cury. Reports suggest Internacional will prefer to sell the striker if interested parties meet their asking price of €15 million.
The Gunners certainly face plenty of problems in the attacking department, with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang severely misfiring this season. Moreover, the French striker is expected to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires, although Alberto will not be his direct replacement.
The Gunners are looking for an established striker like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, among other stars. Along with that, they might add a young player to their roster to develop him for the future, with Aubameyang not getting any younger. They are searching for a player in the mould of Gabriel Martinelli, who has developed well since arriving from the lower tiers of Brazilian football and Yuri Alberto fits the bill.
As for the 20-year-old, the presence of Brazilians like Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes might make the switch to the Emirates Stadium comfortable, although he has no shortage of options to choose from heading into the January window.
Arsenal must look for a young striker with an above average goal scoring record. 19 in 54 appearances is nothing to boast of. They should be looking at top young players in smaller leagues such as Portugal, Belgium, Holland, or Croatia. Thats where they will find some real forward talents.