Arsenal ‘appeal more’ than Man Utd for £5m striker as Edu considers January bid
Arsenal are now in the race to sign Dino Klapija in the January transfer window and the potential target might be more inclined to join them than Manchester United.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, which claims Arsenal are considering a winter bid for the attacker, who is valued in the £5million bracket by his current club NK Kustosija.
Klapija has already caught the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea, but Arsenal have now been revealed as the third Premier League suitors for the teenager.
The Daily Mail suggests Arsenal are thinking of bidding for Klapija at the next opportunity. Moreover, their project ‘is believed to be appeal more’ than Man Utd’s, according to the report, which also suggests his head has been turned by the Gunners.
In addition to the £5m asking price, Kustosija are seeking a sell-on clause for Klapija. Other suitors for him come from Germany, where RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are both said to be keen on entering talks as early as November.
If those talks do not lead to any kind of agreements just yet, Arsenal could have the chance to swoop for the striker in 2024 after sending scouts to watch his three most recent appearances.
Klapija is just 16 years of age, which would likely make him a player to add to their academy rather than first team if they were to sign him. But lining up a potential talent for the future cannot harm.
New centre-forward on Arsenal wish list
Arsenal are interested in strengthening at centre-forward, where they currently have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah. Obviously, if they do think it is an area to upgrade, they will be on the lookout for a more senior solution, but it is important for elite clubs to strengthen at all levels and with an eye to the long term.
That is especially the case when other clubs of a similar stature are looking at the same players of interest, so they will be eager not to miss out – which perhaps explains their interest in bidding during the next transfer window.
In this day and age, £5m seems like a low price, but it would still be something of a risk, since they would have to be fully confident that Klapija would develop into a useful player.
