Arsenal are ready to offer forward Justin Kluivert double what he earns in Rome to secure his signature this summer.
That’s according to CalcioMercato, who claim the Gunners are pushing ahead with a deal that would include Henrikh Mkhitaryan going the other way.
The Armenian forward has been on loan at Roma since last summer and, despite a frustrating year with injuries, has impressed enough that they want to keep him permanently.
So far they’ve been unable to work out a deal with Arsenal that suits both parties, but recent reports have indicated that a transfer involved Kluivert could be the solution.
That rumour suggested Arsenal would pay cash plus Mkhitaryan to sign the Dutchman, who has endured a difficult first year at Roma since moving from Ajax.
It was initially claimed the figure involved could be €40m, that’s what Roma value him at, but CalcioMercato dispute that and say that is not the case as it would not be a fair exchange.
Instead, Arsenal are looking at a deal worth €20m plus Mkhitaryan and are ‘enthusiastic’ about the possibility of that being accepted.
Contacts between the two clubs are said to been ongoing for a while but have ‘intensified’ in the last few hours.
Their interest is backed up by Corriere dello Sport, who say the Gunners have been ‘asking for information’ about Kluivert but the newspaper claims they are proposing an exchange of Mkhitaryan plus €15m.
Kluivert, for his part, is ‘attracted’ by a move to the Premier League and Arsenal, who are offering him a four-year, €3.5m deal, double what he currently earns in Roma.
There is, then, a willingness from all parties to get a deal done but the sticking point is over the price, with Arsenal seemingly looking to get as much value for money as possible.
