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What’s the rumour?
As per reports from Talksport, Arsenal are ready to make a move for AC Milan's Andre Silva. The striker is attracting interest from Arsene Wenger who sees him as a potential target this summer.
In case you didn't know:
AC Milan signed the striker in June 2017 from FC Porto for a fee of £33.6 million as part of a major transfer overhaul. The player is yet to find his feet in Italy and has struggled in front of goal in the league as well.
But, the player has been in fine form for Portugal and scored 7 goals in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He has a brilliant return of 11 goals in 18 appearances for the national side and is likely to be a key figure in their exploits in Russia.
The heart of the matter:
The striker has reportedly fallen out of favour with interim boss Gennaro Gattuso and has fallen down the pecking order. As a result, his agent is exploring the possibility of a transfer this summer.
Wenger signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the 2018 winter transfer deadline day for a club-record fee, reported to be £60 million. He intends to add more firepower to Arsenal's attack and wants to make a move for the Portuguese striker.
The striker has a contract until 2022 and Arsenal will need to loosen their purse strings if they want to sign him.
Rumour rating/probability - 5/10
Many clubs like AS Monaco, Wolves and Valencia are also interested signing the 22-year-old as per the same report. A move to Arsenal is unlikely as Wenger now has enough attackers and will want to find the perfect system to deploy them all.
Video: Silva in 2017-18
Author’s take
Andre Silva is a player who is yet to reach his prime and may want to get regular minutes under his belt. Arsenal may not be able to offer that and it may be better for the player to choose another club, if he decides to move away from the San Siro.
