Wenger willing to pay up to bring Higuain to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is ready to break the club’s existing transfer record to sign Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain this summer, reports the Guardian.
The Frenchman is hoping the imminent appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as head-coach at the Santiago Bernabeu will allow the Gunners to step up their pursuit of the Argentina international – although Juventus are also keen on Higuain.
The 26-year-old has made no secret of his desire to leave the Spanish capital this summer but Real president Florentino Perez appears reluctant to sanction any transfer business until boss-in-waiting Ancelotti has negotiated a severance package with current employers PSG.
The Ligue 1 champions are keen to tie up a replacement before releasing the former Chelsea boss, with two other ex-Blues managers – Guus Hiddink of Anzhi Makhachkala and Tottenham’s Andre Villas-Boas – currently among the favourites.
Wenger is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to smash the club’s existing £15m record transfer fee – paid to Zenit St. Petersburg for Andrei Arshavin in 2009 – to land the £25m-rated Argentine.
The French tactician wants to have a marquee signing in place before the club depart on a pre-season tour of Asia on 11 July.
Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more domestic goals than Higuain since the French-born striker arrived in La Liga from River Plate in 2006.
The powerful forward netted 16 times in just 19 league starts last season but was most often utilised from the bench by then-Real boss Jose Mourinho.
Watch Gonzalo Higuain’s wonderstrike for Real Madrid against Levante:
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