Arsenal want Giovanni Simeone and Hellas Verona have now decided to activate their permanent option on the striker.
Arsenal’s primary focus this summer will be on landing a new centre forward for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners have allowed Alexandre Lacazette to leave the club as he has now secured an emotional return to Lyon.
Eddie Nketiah could end up signing a new contract but Arsenal still need to secure another goalscorer this summer.
A number of names have been linked with filling that role and one of the more surprising rumours has surrounded Giovanni Simeone.
Arsenal want Giovanni Simeone
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported last week that Arsenal have a real interest in signing Simeone.
It was suggested that the fee involved would only be around €15million (£13million), which would be a pretty cheap deal for Arsenal.
Simeone, 26, impressed on loan at Verona last season, hitting 17 goals and five assists in 35 for the Serie A side.
The Argentinian was only on loan from Cagliari and Verona have held a purchase option on the striker.
Gianluca Di Marzio now claims that Verona have signed Simeone permanently for just €10.5million (£9million).
That’s actually £1.5million less than initially agreed in the loan deal but Verona have landed their man anyway.
It may well be that Verona now end up selling Simeone on in order to make a quick profit on the striker.
Arsenal will be watching this situation closely as they consider Simeone as the answer to their striking conundrum.
Simeone’s patchy career suggests that he isn’t quite of the level Arsenal need as the spearhead of their attack.
Simeone could go elsewhere though and The Times claim that Simeone has already been offered to West Ham United in recent days.
That means Simeone could still end up in London, but playing for David Moyes rather than Arteta.
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