Gonzalo Higuain has agreed a four-year deal worth £115,000 a week with Arsenal, according to reports in Argentina today, paving the way for him to become the North London club’s record signing should he complete the move from Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old Argentina forward is expected to cost about £22 million, eclipsing the £15 million that Arsenal paid for Santi Cazorla and Andrey Arshavin.
Higuain scored 16 goals last season and 22 league goals in the previous campaign when he helped Real Madrid to win the La Liga title. But he has been unhappy at being considered second choice despite averaging a goal every 112 minutes in the Spanish League since he made his debut in January 2007 - at 28.31, only Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (29.45) has a better shot conversion rate.
The Spanish giants have offered him to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, whose coach Andre Villas-Boas wanted to sign the player when he was in charge at Stamford Bridge. Higuain has scored 106 goals in 188 league games for Real since he arrived from River Plate. He was born in France and has Argentinian parents but while he is a French national, he does not speak the language, and chose instead to play for Argentina, for whom he has scored 20 goals.
Arsene Wenger has been under pressure to spend – chiefly on a striker - on the back of Arsenal failing to mount a challenge for trophies in recent seasons and only narrowly qualifying for the Champions League in the last two years when they had to overhaul Tottenham Hotspur on each occasion.
The Frenchman has money from the new television deal as well as the club’s new sponsorship deal with Emirates and Puma from next season.
Arsenal also plan to sign a holding midfielder – to replace Abou Diaby who will be out until the new year and is likely to then be released – and possibly an experience and versatile defender who can operate at centre and full back. They want to sell Thomas Vermaelen, the defender.
Originally Posted by Cripps
