Arsenal have been backed to sign Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente as speculation continues that the Gunners will bring in another forward before Friday's transfer deadline.
Arsenal have signed Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski this summer, but manager Arsene Wenger recently saw last season's top scorer Robin van Persie quit the club to join Manchester United.
Llorente has been on Arsenal's radar for some time, although the Gunners face competition from a number of clubs should they firm up their interest in the 27-year-old, with Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester City, and Tottenham all thought to be keen.
But bookmakers Sky Bet on Wednesday evening reported plenty of support for Arsenal to win the race to sign Llorente and as a result slashed his odds from 7/1 to 7/2 to be an Arsenal player before the summer transfer window closes.
The Spain international has just one year left on his current deal at San Mames, and his agent last week stated that two Premier League clubs - one from London and one from Manchester - had expressed an interest in signing the striker.
Athletic Bilbao insist a deal will only happen should Llorente's €36million buy-out clause be met.
"We have always said that a player can only leave the club on two conditions. Either the club no longer wants the player or another club pays their buy-out clause, and neither of those conditions have been met," Bilbao president Josu Urrutia told Canal Plus.
And he insisted: "We have not held negotiations for Llorente. We have said what we think and the rumours are of no interest to us."
Wenger has already confirmed he is interested in signing a defender and a midfielder before the transfer deadline.
The summer transfer window closes at 23:00 BST on Friday.
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Crunch Sports.but had to post it.
Posting Permissions
