Arkadiusz Milik (Getty Images)
According to La Repubblica (h/t Daily Mail), Arsenal are leading the race to secure the signature of Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik.
The Napoli finisher has been in excellent form in front of goal for the Serie A side in the last few years.
Arsenal are in front of the queue to rope in the in-form Pole, who is currently Napoli’s top-scorer in the league with 9 goals under his belt. A first-choice forward when fit, Milik has, however, missed a few games this season due to injury. He has featured in just 16 of their 26 league games.
Despite that, Milik remains the side’s top goal scorer. This gives a clear idea of his talent and worth in the current Napoli line-up. Milik has scored 46 goals from 109 games for Napoli across all competitions.
Arsenal, on the other hand, see Milik as an ideal replacement for their star striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is attracting a lot of interest from several clubs in Europe.
The Gabon finisher has not yet extended his contract at the Emirates which is set to expire next summer and this has put the Gunners in a spot of bother ahead of next season.
Aubameyang has been Arsenal’s sole performer this season, scoring the major share of their goals in the league. 17 out of Arsenal’s 40 league goals this term have come from the boots of Aubameyang, who is clearly one of the top performers in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Apart from Aubameyang, the Gunners have another established forward in Alexandre Lacazette but the Frenchman has been far from impressive. He has managed just 7 goals despite making 20 league appearances and seems to have suffered a dip in form.
The Gunners also have youngsters Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah in the striker’s department. However, the two are still young and have a lot more to prove.
Meanwhile, Milik was in sensational form last season too, scoring an impressive 17 league goals and helping Napoli finish 2nd in the table. By bringing him to the Emirates, Arsenal will have a consistent goal-scorer in their midst who can help the side.
With Aubameyang’s future at Arsenal remaining an uncertainty, making a move for Milik seems like the safest bet at the moment. Also, his arrival will ease the burden on Aubameyang if he chooses to stay at the Emirates.
