Arsenal plot Vlahovic revenge on Juventus by storming into race for €20m target Giovanni Simeone

Arsenal have joined the race for Hellas Verona centre-forward Giovanni Simeone, who is also a Juventus target, according to reports.

Finding new forwards is a priority issue for Arsenal at present. They have lost Alexandre Lacazette at the end of his contract, while negotiations are ongoing with Eddie Nketiah to avoid a similar fate with him.

There is more optimism surrounding Nketiah staying. However, even in that case, Arsenal will need another option at the centre of their frontline.

One priority target is Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City, but a plethora of other names have been linked. The latest is Simeone.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Arsenal are now in the running for the Hellas Verona striker, who is the son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.

During the 2021-22 season, Giovanni Simeone scored 17 goals from 36 games in Serie A while on loan at Verona from Cagliari. Therefore, it has become a formality for them to acquire him on a permanent basis.

But that could lead to a quick sale elsewhere for profit. Simeone has already been linked with Juventus, who are looking for support for Dusan Vlahovic.

Juventus beat Arsenal to the signing of Vlahovic in January and now they could be in another transfer battle. Per TMW, the Gunners have joined the race for Simeone.

It is claimed that Verona could sell the 26-year-old for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m). In turn, they would effectively be doubling their money, since they will be paying €10m (£8.5m) to Cagliari for the permanent deal themselves.

Arsenal could be appealing option for Giovanni Simeone

Even so, the instantly heightened transfer value should be within reach for a club of Arsenal’s stature. What’s more, they will have Europa League football on offer next season, which Verona cannot match. Nor can another linked party, Newcastle.

Newcastle target new striker this summer with Giovanni Simeone to replace Chris Wood

Newcastle United want Giovanni Simeone this summer from Hellas Verona to replace January signing Chris Wood

Admittedly, Juventus can better it with the lure of Champions League playing time. However, it is quite clear that they are only targeting Simeone for a supporting role; his involvement for Arsenal could be greater.

Therefore, sharing responsibilities with Nketiah or Jesus at Arsenal may be a preferable option for Simeone. It is not yet apparent if they are targeting two striker signings, though, or just the one.

Simeone may never have played in the Premier League before, but would be an interesting option to work with at the Emirates Stadium. What’s more, he is likely going to be cheaper than Jesus, who also has plenty of other suitors.

It will be interesting to see how much further Arsenal take their pursuit of either target.

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