After the Álvarez deal: Arsenal return to block Barcelona's path towards a new striker
Will Arteta settle it?
Arsenal and Barcelona are set to lock horns in the transfer market once more, with the English club now in the hunt for Nicolò Tresoldi, the Club Brugge striker who has become one of the biggest names in European football this season.
Having both chased Julián Álvarez, the two clubs find themselves eyeing the same man again. The 22-year-old German striker is now an Arsenal target, and he also features on the shortlist the Catalan club are weighing up to strengthen their attack.
According to British newspaper The Sun, Arsenal are mulling a swoop for Tresoldi in the January window. Mikel Arteta wants his side to be more clinical in front of goal, especially after Viktor Gyökeres failed to deliver the level expected of him.
Tresoldi fits the bill as a player who can make an impact now and pay off over the long term, though the deal would demand a hefty financial outlay.
The English newspaper put the price at around 42 million pounds sterling, close to 48 million euros, a figure that reflects the striker's remarkable rise.
Roma tabled a bid worth around 35 million euros for Tresoldi last summer. Club Brugge turned it down.
Other reports suggest the Belgian club are holding out for 60 million euros before they let the player go.
Arsenal hold an extra card that could help get the deal over the line. They signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge last summer for around 40 million euros.
The Greek winger was one of Tresoldi's closest teammates at the Belgian club, and the warm relationship between the two sides may smooth the path to a fresh agreement.
Barcelona continue to monitor the striker
Barcelona's interest in Tresoldi is nothing new. The striker was among the names the Catalan club's sporting management studied last summer as an alternative to Julián Álvarez.
His movement, his ability to link the lines and his knack for exploiting spaces inside the box match exactly what Hansi Flick wants from a striker.
His scoring explosion this season has sent his market value soaring. He has netted 9 goals in 12 matches, including 4 in the Champions League, where he stole the show with a superb hat-trick against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Arsenal are not the only ones circling. Milan, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have all been linked with the striker too.
Tresoldi is tied to Club Brugge until 2029, which hands the Belgian club a strong hand in any talks. They are under no pressure to sell, and would prefer to keep him until the end of the season at the very least.
