Arsenal target Raul de Tomas is ‘happy’ in La Liga despite interest from the Premier League giants, speaking via La Grada.
Between them, the three strikers at Mikel Arteta’s disposal – Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli – have scored a grand total of seven league goals in 2021/22.
Two of those will be out of contract in July. And the other is most effective drifting in from the left rather than ploughing a lone furrow through the middle.
All that is a rather long-winded way of saying that, if Arsenal are to secure European qualification this season, Arteta will need his attackers to step up more than they had done so far this term.
Especially with the club’s most reliable finisher, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, now at Barcelona.
Who will replace Aubameyang at Arsenal?
Arsenal at least attempted to bring in a replacement for their former talisman during the January transfer window.
But Juventus snatched Dusan Vlahovic from under Arteta’s nose. Everton, meanwhile, were never going to cash in on Dominic Calvert-Lewin with Newcastle and co snapping at their heels.
Espanyol’s sporting director confirmed a last week that the London giants had enquired about Raul de Tomas too (Fabrizio Romano).
Jose Maria Duran makes it clear, however, that the Catalan club had absolutely no intention of cashing in.
Espanyol’s stocky centre-forward has 12 La Liga goals this term, putting him second in the Pichichi race behind only Karin Benzema.
And, when quizzed about Arsenal’s interest, the man known as ‘RDT’ wasted little time in putting the speculation behind him.
“I prefer not to talk about the winter market,” De Tomas says, attacking the question in much the same way as he does a teasing cross into the penalty area.
“I am happy here.
De Tomas, capped twice by Spain, was linked with both Leeds United and West Brom in recent transfer windows.
His £100,000-a-week wages soon had his suitors running for the hills, however, not to mention a £60 million release clause.
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