Pierre-Emerick Abumeyang was under close observation by Arsenal’s reliable scout, Gilles Grimandi, on Friday as his side took on Rennes, and Grimandi saw his talent first-hand as Abumeyang found the back of the net in the 2-2 draw. Though he was not the only one present with a scout in the stands watching Abumeyang in action, as scouts from the likes of fellow English sides Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham were also spotted in attendance on Friday, Wenger is believed to be one of the most interested bidders.
The youngster has been a revelation in the French Ligue 1 this season as he has managed to get on to the score sheet on 16 occasions already. So much so, that he has been likened to Brazilian Santos’ striker Neymar. Brazilian international Neymar has been touted as one of the future superstars of world football. The 21-year old is already being compared to the likes of former Brazilian greats like Pele and Ronaldo, and is now being considered in the same league as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Therefore, being linked to Neymar surely suggests that Abumeyang is another certain talent to watch out for in the future.
Given his recent form in the French league, the 23-year old has attracted a host of English and European clubs, which are all thought to be keen on his services. Arsenal too have joined the race for the coveted striker.
Newcastle United were one of the first ones in the queue for his signature, as they tried to sign him in the January transfer window, however Saint Etienne and Newcastle could not come to an agreement for a transfer fee, and thus, no deal materialised and Abumeyang stayed put.
Arsenal’s interest in a striker is well known, as the Gunners have been linked to top strikers all across Europe. They unsuccessfully tried to sign Barcelona’s Spanish striker David Villa in January, and also were linked to Napoli’s Uruguayan sensation Edinson Cavani. Even though neither of these deals happened, Arsenal are sure to pursue them once again in the summer, as they look set to step up their chase for a striker.
They are set to add the name of Abumeyang in their shortlist after Wenger got glowing reports from Grimandi. The Frenchman is now reportedly preparing to send his chief scout, Steve Rowley to further scout the young striker.
Saint-Etinne are preparing themselves to lose their prized asset in the summer, given the strong English interest in him. They have slapped a price tag of roughly £15 million, however the price is expected to drop around the region of £10 million when the market re-opens.
The price tag should not bother Arsenal at all, as they are looking to splash the cash in the summer, given their recent announcement of having a massive transfer war chest of £70 million at their disposal, ready to be used to bring new players to the Emirates Stadium.
Do you see the latest wonderkid joining Arsenal?