11 months ago
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Arsenal have made a £22million bid for Getafe striker Borja Mayoral as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his firepower this month, according to reports.
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The Gunners have struggled for form in the past month, only winning one of their last seven matches in all competitions and losing three matches on the spin – including two at home.
By far their biggest issue is a lack of goals, with current forwards Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah having just eight goals between them in the Premier League.
That has seen Arsenal explore a move for a new striker in the January window, though they are restricted somewhat by financial fair play rules after a big splurge in the summer.
With Brentford holding out for as much as £100m for Ivan Toney and Napoli likely to demand a similar fee for Victor Osimhen, Arsenal have had to look into signing less expensive options.
According to The Sun, the Gunners have landed on Getafe’s Borja Mayoral as a solution to their goalscoring woes and have lodged an offer for the Spaniard.
Mayoral, who was actually linked with a move to Brentford as a potential replacement for Toney, has enjoyed a strong campaign, netting 12 times in La Liga – only Jude Bellingham (13) has more.
His strong form piqued Arsenal’s interest at the backend of last year, with the Gunners sending scouts to watch him in November.
Unfortunately for the north Londoners, their offer of £22m is not expected to be enough with Getafe holding out for as much as £39m for the striker.
There are some suggestions that Mayoral may, in fact, have a release clause of just £17.4m in his deal but it is unclear whether it can be activated in January or must wait until the summer.
Arsenal also may struggle to pay that amount in full, having only been able to sign David Raya on loan in the summer to get around FFP, and may be offering more money over a longer period with less paid up front.
Mayoral came through the academy at Real Madrid and had a string of loans – the most notable of which was at Roma – before signing for Getafe permanently in 2022.
Despite a wealth of experience at youth level for Spain, turning out 31 times for the Under-21 side, the 26-year-old is yet to make an appearance for the senior national team though his current form has prompted calls for his selection ahead of next summer’s Euros.
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