Brighton & Hove Albion have now set their asking price for the transfer of Kaoru Mitoma in the summer window. The Japan forward is also a target of Arsenal amid his superb season.
That is according to Calciomercato, which reports Arsenal are monitoring Mitoma as Mikel Arteta wants to sign further offensive reinforcements. The Spaniard has already raided the Amex Stadium once in 2023 to improve his weaponry in north London in Leandro Trossard.
Arsenal paid the Seagulls an initial £20m, plus up to £7m in add-ons, for the 28-year-old in January. But the Gunners only green-lit a move for the Belgian after sensing he was a more attainable deal than Mitoma, per 90min. And Arsenal remain keen to sign the 25-year-old.
Mitoma has astounded Arsenal so far this season having scored five and assisting one goal in 16 Premier League games. He also scored once against Liverpool in the FA Cup and laid on an assist at Middlesbrough. The Gunners also conceded one goal to him in the EFL Cup.
The 13-cap dynamo helped Brighton eliminate Arsenal from the Carabao Cup in the third round in November. Mitoma bagged the Seagulls’ second goal and the lead en route to a 3-1 win having trailed 1-0. He has also scored against the Gunners in the Premier League.
Arsenal must pay Brighton more than for Trossard to now seal Mitoma’s transfer
Mitoma kicked off his remarkable run of form following the World Cup by scoring against Arsenal on New Year’s Eve. The forward gave the Seagulls hope at 3-1 in a 4-2 defeat on the south coast. He has now reached four goals across his past six top-flight appearances.
Roberto De Zerbi had overseen Mitoma’s first goal of the Premier League season away to Wolves in November. The Molineux meeting also marked Mitoma’s ninth appearance for the top-flight season. He has only failed to score in three of his following seven matches so far.
So, Brighton will now demand a hefty fee to sell Mitoma amid interest from Arsenal in his transfer. The Seagulls value the Kawasaki, Kanagawa-born dynamo at €35m (£31m) – just 18 months after paying Kawasaki Frontale a bargain £2.5m for his transfer in August 2021.
He spent the season following his transfer to Brighton on loan with Jupiler Pro League side Union Saint-Gilloise. But Mitoma’s displays since arriving in England have charmed Arsenal to target another transfer from Brighton. The forward has also blown Tim Sherwood away.
“[Mitoma] has got everything,” Sherwood told Sky Sports News (11/02, 14:14). The former Tottenham Hotspur boss continued: “He has got all types of goals in him, he runs with the ball, he takes players on, he really commits defenders [and] he knows when to play safe.
“He has got the whole package, this boy, and you know by looking at him that he has got a fantastic attitude to the game. He is relishing playing in the best league in the world, which is the Premier League. Liverpool? Next season, son.”
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