Arsenal: Icardi confusion; reported loan move for Spurs forward; Sissoko links

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Arsenal’s quest for a new striker had produced mixed messages all summer long, and this time Inter forward Mauro Icardi is at the heart of the confusion.

Corriere dello Sport claim Icardi’s agent and his wife were in London yesterday for talks with Arsenal ahead of a proposed €50 million move.

The transfer fee quoted in that story sounds rather steep, but these things are part of the brinksmanship that goes into making a deal.

Icardi is just 23 years of age and available for a more feasible transfer fee than Gonzalo Higuaín it seems; two factors that will be to Arsene Wenger’s liking.

The Argentinian forward buried 16 Serie A goals last term, but one has the feeling that he was not at the top of Wenger’s wish list at the beginning of the summer.

Moreover, in an interview with the same Italian sports paper today, Icardi has pledged his allegiance to Inter and declared he wants to stay.

Another odd story emerging this morning, from the reliable Matt Spiro, is that Tottenham rebuffed a late loan bid from Arsenal for Clinton N’Jie.

If true, this serves as evidence of the paucity of options in the striker market and further evidence that Wenger knows needs must this summer.

Nevertheless, Arsenal should be setting their sights higher than N’Jie, who made just eight Premier League appearances for Spurs last season, all of which were as a substitute.

Regardless of his potential, signing a player who failed to get in Spurs’ first XI is unlikely to go own too well among regulars at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, TalkSPORT are linking Arsenal with a move for Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko, France’s outstanding player in the Euro 2016 Final.

Sissoko has his heart set on a move away from St James Park’s, but Newcastle have slapped a prohibitive price tag of £35m on his head.

Arsenal are well stocked in central midfield, with Francis Coquelin, Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny, Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey all vying to for two spots behind Mesut Özil.

It is highly unlikely that Arsenal will buy another midfielder in this window, and this story is another example of Sissoko and his representatives trying to lure suitors.

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