Wenger needs deeper pockets if he’s to bring Napoli man to Arsenal
Published:
Despite bringing in Mohamed Elneny this month from FC Basel, Arsene Wenger might not be done with his search for defensive midfielders.
Reports have emerged from Italy that the Arsenal boss have seen a bid for Napoli’s Jorginho rejected by the Serie A outfit.
With Napoli currently top of the table in Italy, Gli Azzurri are reluctant to sell one of their key men, at least until a suitable fee can be arranged, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
Defeat to Chelsea on Sunday saw Arsenal go a third Premier League game without a win, as their title aspirations suffered a further blow.
The 1-0 loss followed draws at Stoke and Liverpool, and the after battling on admirably, the absences of Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin may be starting to take their toll.
Jorginho is under contract with Napoli until 2020, but has been courted by Arsenal for some time.
With Coquelin nearing a return to the first-time, and Elneny now on the books, Wenger may require a new DM as urgently as he once did, but it appears the Frenchman is keen to find an agreement sooner rather than later with the Napoli star.
The Italian side are in a strong position to negotiate, and it seems only an extraordinary bid from Arsenal would twist their arm before January’s transfer window slams shut on Monday night.
Should the two sides fail to reach an agreement, Arsenal are expected to re-enter negotiations in the summer with the Brazilian, who has missed just two Serie A games this season.
The Gunners – 6/4 second favourites for the Premier League – are in FA Cup action this weekend.
Championship side Burnley head to the Emirates on Saturday afternoon, where the hosts are 2/5 to maintain their bid for a third-straight success in the world’s oldest cup competition.
With a two-legged tie against Barcelona to come as well, Arsenal’s strength in depth could make or break their entire campaign.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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