Arsenal Transfer News: Gonzalo Higuain Talks Held, William Carvalho Rumours

Arsenal are ready to offer £30 million for Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain, according to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star).

Harris indicates Arsenal are "ready" to bid after holding talks with Nicolas Higuain, the player's brother and agent.

However, Gazzetta (h/t Liam Corless of the Mirror) also claims Napoli will hold out for £36.7 million.

Former Gunners striker John Hartson believes manager Arsene Wenger should pay the fee and land themselves a top-level goalscorer: "Arsenal must aim high and sign Gonzalo Higuain for next season’s title challenge," he wrote on Kicca.

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press

Hartson provided further comment:

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I believe Arsene must break the bank and spend big if they are to go on and compete for the Premier League title after their excellent FA Cup win.

Napoli’s Higuain is one name that comes to mind. He’s the kind of big name player Arsenal’s main rivals—including Chelsea and Manchester United—will be looking to sign.

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Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press

Corless notes how Arsenal were close to signing Higuain in 2013 before he left Real Madrid. The north London club have constantly been linked with the 27-year-old since.

Higuain scored 25 goals across Serie A and the Europa League during the 2014-15 season, firing Napoli to the brink of Champions League qualification in the process.

However, he missed a key penalty in the side's recent 4-2 defeat to Lazio, which confirmed the Partenopei's failure to qualify for Europe's elite competition.

His clinical nature inside the box could oust Olivier Giroud from Arsenal's lineup, but at this point, supporters are likely to be disillusioned with reports that never seem to progress.

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The same can be said for speculation linking Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho to the club. He has spoken of a potential move to the Premier League in quotes reported by the Sun (h/t Harris): "My qualities suit English football."

Carvalho has been touted for a move to Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, reported by O Jogo (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro). He is capable of filling a defensive-midfield role for any of the aforementioned sides, offering an intimidating physical presence.

Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia is also on Arsenal's radar, according to Darren Lewis of the Mirror. B/R UK's Jonathan Johnson recently discussed whether the player offers an upgrade over emerging defensive midfielder Francis Coquelin:

Wenger's need for world-class improvements will drag up plenty of reports that are destined to go nowhere this summer, an unfortunate by-product of the transfer window.

Both Higuain and Carvalho could offer the club vital quality ahead of next season's potential title challenge. Their signings make sense and address Arsenal's needs, but with each passing day, many supporters are likely to lose hope the deals will be secured.