Xavi’s intentions to sign Alvaro Morata has opened the door for a massive transfer opportunity for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
According to Goal, Barcelona have struck a deal with Alvaro Morata for the player to make the move to Camp Nou on an 18-month contract.
With Juventus passing up the opportunity to sign the Spaniard, it now means that the Serie A side will now have to look at other forward options to replace Morata.
One of the players the Italian side have been linked with is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and they may now push for a transfer, which will help Arsenal raise funds to also bring a new striker to the club.
The Gabonese international has been left out of the team for the last few matchdays, and speculation has grown surrounding his future at the club after it was announced that that the striker will not return to first-team training until after the African Cup of Nations in February.
Since then, he has been linked to many clubs in Europe and according to Italian outlet Calciomercato , Juventus are one of the clubs interested in securing his signature.
If a deal does go through, then Arsenal have been given more of an opportunity to solve a striker crisis at the club, with Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette’s departures also looking likely due to their contracts that are set to expire in the summer.
Folarin Balogun would be the only remaining senior striker at the club, but Edu needs to loan the youngster out so he can gain valuable first-team minutes.
The Gunners have been linked to many strikers, such as Dusan Vlahovic, and according to ESPN, Dominic-Calvert-Lewin and Ollie Watkins join the Serbian striker in a three-man shortlist for Edu.
With Aubameyang being left out of Arteta’s side for almost longer than a month, the repairing of the relationship between the two important figures seems to be drifting away, so keeping the striker at the club will have no benefit for either party.
If Xavi does manage to secure the signature of Morata, then it could speed up the process in the club’s attempts to sell Aubameyang.
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