On Friday, Portuguese newspaper O Jogo had a story saying that Sporting are planning to offer Islam Slimani a new contract which would commit him to the club until 2022. We hoped this would be this end of a very boring saga.
But that’s not what another Portuguese newspaper, A Bola, say. They claim that Arsenal are back on the chase for the player, as the Gunners are still looking for a top striker.
A Bola’s equation is quite simple. Leicester City were said to be leading the race for Slimani. They were needing a replacement for Jamie Vardy, since the Englishman reportedly had an offer from Arsenal.
However now it’s clear that Vardy turned Arsenal’s bid down, and more recently, agreed to sign an extension with Leicester, it leaves the London club looking for a new target.
So, what would Arsene Wenger do?
Go for Slimani, of course. Well, at least according to A Bola.
The Algerian’s €30m release clause has expired this month, and with Sporting’s resistance to sell him, A Bola have no idea of how much it would cost to buy the striker.
Slimani has been linked to so many English clubs this year that it makes it hard to believe any news about him.
Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho has recently revealed that no Premier League sides have bid for the player, denying all the claims from the Portuguese press.
