Arsenal have all but concluded a deal to sign Real Madrid’s Argentina international forward.
Arsenal are a step closer to the signing of Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain after agreeing terms with the striker.
The Daily Mirror reports that the Argentina international striker and the Gunners have come to an arrangement over a £130,000 per week salary to move to Emirates Stadium.
Higuain would be Arsenal’s first marquee signing in years, with perhaps only Sol Campbell and Dennis Bergkamp comparable in the Premier League era.
Campbell may have been a free transfer, but he had his pick of elite clubs throughout Europe and chose to move from captaining Tottenham Hotspur to playing for their arch rivals despite the expected vitriol that would be sent his way.
Despite famously being dismissed by Stuart Pearce, Bergkamp signed for £7.5m in June 1995, triple the club’s transfer record of the time, and proved himself truly world class.
Despite that fee being exceeded since, only Sylvain Wiltord, who had scored the winner at UEFA Euro 2000, and Andrei Arshavin, who had enjoyed a tremendous Euro 2008, could possibly compete with Bergkamp and Campbell, and neither proved such iconic figures for the north London club.
Higuain has the pedigree to make a name for himself at Emirates Stadium though.
The 25 year-old has scored 122 goals in 266 appearances for Real Madrid – despite many of those coming as a substitute, as he has had to share the main striking role with Karim Benzema.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi scored more than Higuain throughout his time in Spain, and the Argentina international could make the difference in Arsenal’s hunt for trophies.
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