Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Jackson Martinez, Edinson Cavani

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger recently spoke of his admiration for FC Porto striker Jackson Martinez, leading to plenty of transfer rumours and speculation regarding the prolific striker, who is expected to leave the Portuguese club at the end of the season.

MailOnline Sport couldn't help but notice the French manager took his sweet time praising the Colombia international in a recent interview with beIN Sports:

The Daily Mail's Luke Augustus shared the full comments:

"

[He has] top physical strengths. Hugely efficient, he is the kind of player who can make room for himself in the box.

He could play in the Premier League because he has the body to make the difference. He uses it in a very intelligent way. Very short back lift and he's a very good finisher.

He's on the list of many clubs, you know that. He will be the next big transfer who will give a big smile to Pinto da Costa [Porto's owner].

"

The timing of Wenger's praise is curious, with the 28-year-old forward revealing his intention to leave Portugal earlier this week, via 101 Great Goals:

Martinez has been a favourite of tabloids and transfer experts for years, tantalising fans in the Premier League with an incredible scoring record in Portugal. The Colombian is a fantastic finisher, and Porto have built a perfect system around his talents.

As shared by the club's official Twitter feed, he's once again the top scorer heading into the second half of the season:

The star striker doesn't come without question marks, however. He's untested outside of the relatively weak Portuguese league, his scoring numbers don't consistently carry over to the European competitions, and he failed to nail down a spot in Colombia's World Cup starting XI, despite the absence of Radamel Falcao.

His athletic tools and highlight reel will have fans salivating by the time the summer window opens, however, and given his proficiency in the air and in tight spaces, scouts won't have a hard time convincing their employers he would be a success in the Premier League.

Arsenal don't have a clear need for another striker, but with the exception of Alexis Sanchez, there's not a single player in the Gunners' squad who can match the Colombian's killer instinct. If Wenger wants a true, cold-blooded finisher to spearhead his attack, Martinez fits the bill.

Porto are notoriously difficult to negotiate with, however, so expect the Portuguese club to hold out for a very significant transfer fee. If Wenger really wants to bring in the forward he showered with so much praise, it will cost him.

Another striker who has often been linked with Arsenal is Edinson Cavani, but according to le10sport.com (h/t the Express' Charles Perrin), the Uruguayan has his heart set on a return to Italy's Serie A, with Juventus the favourites for his signature.

Cavani rose to fame on the peninsula, translating much success with Palermo and Napoli into a big-money transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. The 27-year-old hasn't lived up to the expectations in the French capital, however, via WhoScored:

The Gunners were linked with Cavani as recently as January, via the Daily Star's Colin Harvey, but given his high price tag, the striker never appeared a particularly good fit.

Cavani has mainly played as a wide man for Les Parisiens so far, and while he's been decent in such a role, the fact he's far better as a lone striker highlights his lack of versatility. The club also hasn't had much success lining him up next to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, per Sky Football's Matthew Stanger:

Carlos Tevez's contract with Juventus expires after the 2015-16 season, so the Bianconeri will have to be on the lookout for a replacement. Coupled with Cavani's reported desire to return to Italy, a move to Turin makes a lot of sense.

Cavani isn't too dissimilar to Martinez in terms of athletic profile, but the Colombian is a much better, natural finisher. With price tags likely not to be too far apart, it's easy to see why Wenger would favour the Colombian for a summer move.

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