Arsenal transfer chief Edu has secret weapon to pip Tottenham in £68m Dusan Vlahovic deal

Antonio Conte: In profile

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Arsenal transfer chief Edu may have a secret weapon to beat Tottenham in the race to sign Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic. Reports suggest that the Gunners could be close to striking a deal for the frontman, although new boss Antonio Conte is sure to expect serious investment from Spurs in the upcoming January transfer window. 

It was reported earlier this week by Gianluca Di Marzio that Arsenal and Fiorentina had agreed on a £68million fee for Dusan Vlahovic. 

The Fiorentina striker has been amongst the goals over the past two seasons, and he is already up to double figures this campaign. 

However, the same report also stated that the player himself was not completely sold on the idea of heading to The Emirates, with other offers soon expected to fly in. 

Spurs are also likely to throw their hat into the ring, with chiefs Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici reportedly assuring Conte of their commitment to signing Vlahovic, among others, in January. 

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Given Conte’s stellar reputation, particularly when it comes to working with physical strikers like the Serbian, Arsenal may need to pull out every trick in the book if their rivals match their offer in an attempt to try and persuade him to join them instead.

Thankfully, Edu and Mikel Arteta may have just that in Alexandre Lacazette. 

The Frenchman is into the final year of his contract in north London and is reportedly against the idea of staying beyond the end of the season. 

As such, it could make sense for Arsenal to cash in on the 30-year-old in January, or potentially use him as a makeweight to bring in Vlahovic. 

Naturally, if Fiorentina were to lose their talisman, recruiting another prolific striker would be extremely high on their priority list. 

Putting together a player-plus-cash deal with the Gunners could therefore take plenty of stress out of their situation. 

The 30-year-old has hit double figures in every Premier League season since signing from Lyon in 2017, so would represent a decent signing for most Serie A sides.

Another trick up Arsenal’s sleeve could be the fact that they do not have a figure like Harry Kane in their squad. 

The England captain could make regular game time hard to come by for Vlahovic, while his route into the Gunners’ first team would appear much simpler. 

All things considered, although the player himself is reportedly waiting for better offers to arrive, he could eventually come around to the idea of linking up with Arteta and Edu. 

If they fail to put together a convincing pitch, however, they may have to watch on as he signs for their bitter rivals, with Conte aiming to hit the ground running at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

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