Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Analysing the Chances of Stevan Jovetic Joining Arsenal

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It’s just over a week since the January transfer window closed, but Arsenal are already being linked with a big money move that could be completed in the summer.

Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic, allegedly a long-term target of Arsene Wenger, is rumoured to be the subject of serious interest from the North London side.

While many an Arsenal fan may be pleased at the news of this potential acquisition, how likely is it that this record-breaking deal will indeed come to fruition?

This article analyses a number of factors in an attempt to assess the chances of Jovetic signing on for the Gunners come the summer transfer period.

He Fits the Bill

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First and foremost, Jovetic is the type of player who Wenger admires.

A versatile forward, the Montenegrin is equally at ease playing on the wing as he is leading the line himself or even playing just off the main central attacker.

This flexibility, combined with the 23-year-old’s technical skill and his eye for goal, suggest that he would fit in well with Arsenal’s fluid attacking system.

Of course, the fact that he remains relatively young is also another positive for the Gunners. He is now on the cusp of entering his prime and one can expect him to have a number of years left in him at the top after he’s reached his peak.

Ultimately, he certainly fits the bill.

His credentials and abilities make this transfer story appear all the more credible, and thus, perhaps Jovetic could in fact be one of the Gunners top transfer priorities in the near future.

The Price Tag

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However, the price tag being quoted is rather large and as we have seen before, exuberant purchases tend not to be consistent with the Gunners prudent business plan.

At the speculated £20 million fee, this deal would represent the most expensive in Arsenal’s entire history, smashing the £15 million outlay that was spent in the services of Andrei Arshavin four years ago.

While the club undoubtedly have the finances available to sanction such signings, whether or not Arsenal choose to bite the bullet and invest in such a player remains to be seen.

The summer signings of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla perhaps suggest a changing of the ways at Arsenal Football Club, but if history is anything to go by then don’t be surprised to see the Gunners baulk at such a lofty transfer fee—despite the fact that it may well represent value for money.

Fiorentina's Stubbornness

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Furthermore, it was reported by Sky Sports that Jovetic’s club Fiorentina will do “everything they can” to ensure that they keep hold of their prized asset.

President Andre Della Valle managed to hold onto the club captain over January and still has aspirations to maintain the forward’s services over the summer and beyond.

Such stubbornness on Fiorentina’s part could explain why the asking price is so high, and even if the £20 million fee is met, La Viola may well remain unwilling to do business with the Gunners.

One can understand Della Valle’s determination to keep Jovetic at the club, but recent events may put such sentiments in doubt when one considers the bigger picture.

Fiorentina Signed Rossi

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Early in the January transfer window, Fiorentina completed a significant piece of business in signing Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi from Villarreal for a “fee of around €11 million.”

While the acquisition could have been made to strengthen the squad, it seems likely that Rossi’s arrival was a precautionary step in case the club failed to hold onto Jovetic.

Furthermore, Rossi’s injury means that he will remain unavailable until around March.

Thus, it would have made little sense for the club to have parted ways with Jovetic before Rossi had been properly bled into the team.

But with the rest of the season to adapt, Rossi could well be the man to fill the gap left by Jovetic, should he complete his much-speculated transfer to the Gunners.

From appearing to be somewhat dead in the water, consideration of the Rossi situation makes the sale of Jovetic to Arsenal look a great deal more likely.

Conclusion

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While the price tag may be a little off-putting for the Gunners, we have seen in recent months that the club may well be willing to invest greater sums in making additions to their playing squad.

Furthermore, it’s easy to feel that after Rossi’s arrival, Della Valle’s talk of keeping Jovetic seems somewhat hollow.

The timing of the former Villarreal forward’s arrival, as well as his scheduled recovery from injury, suggest that he could well be the replacement for an outgoing Jovetic come the end of the season.

In conclusion, I believe that this may well be one of the more feasible and perhaps probable deals that Arsenal have been linked with in recent months.

But what do you think?

Comment below with your thoughts on the chances of the Jovetic deal being completed, as well as your opinions on any of the issues discussed in the article.