Arsenal Transfer News: Jackson Martinez Move Imminent, Claudio Marchisio Rumours

Jackson Martinez's agent has confirmed a club is on the brink of triggering the striker's £24.7 million buyout clause.  

Portuguese outlet O Jogo (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) reports Arsenal's interest when quoting Henrique Pompeo, the forward's representative: "There is a club that's willing to pay €35m for the buy-out clause. The deal will be closed in the next few days."

Soccerlens tweeted O Jogo's original spread:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will look to sell Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo before wrapping up the deal, according to the Daily Telegraph. It is suggested the French boss has been "monitoring" Martinez "for some time."

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Wenger previously commented on the player's attributes, per the Daily Telegraph:

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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. He has a very short back lift and he's a very good finisher. He's on the list of many clubs, you know that.

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Martinez netted 21 goals in the Portuguese division during the recently finished campaign. He also scored seven in eight Champions League appearances, playing a key role in Porto's run to the quarter-finals. The Colombian is capable of scoring many types of goals, as highlighted below:

The 28-year-old is more physically dominant than Gunners striker Olivier Giroud. He isn't adverse to throwing his weight around and has the speed to break away from opponents when needed. Martinez cleverly darts into space and is capable of playing on the shoulder of the last defender, making him potentially an excellent target for Arsenal's wealth of creative midfielders.

Adding to the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla could be Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who is yet to sign a new contract at the Italian club. His current deal expires in July 2016, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, with Italian outlet Calciomercato (h/t talkSPORT) noting Arsenal's and Liverpool's interest.

"The ball is in the Old Lady's court, I don't think they'd let a player like him go," said Stefano Marchisio, the player's father and agent, per Calciomercato's report (h/t talkSPORT). "If we don't find an agreement, we'll look around. I've received many calls from top clubs in the Premier League and the Bundesliga."

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Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri relied on Marchisio throughout Juventus' double-winning season which ended with Saturday's loss to Barcelona in the Champions League final. He is technically gifted, a smart passer of the ball and surprisingly adept at breaking up play.

The 29-year-old can play in central midfield, further forward or from either flank, making him an attractive prospect to teams who need world-class strengthening in multiple areas.

Serie A writer David Amoyal believes Juve's signing of Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira on Tuesday, as reported by the Italian club's official website, could up Marchisio's influence even more in Turin:

B/R UK's Andy Brassell recently offered some alternative targets Wenger could look to sign:

Martinez would be a quality signing for the Gunners. Although he's prone to flitting in and out of matches, his recent goal count cannot be argued with. Imagining him alongside speedster Theo Walcott at the Emirates Stadium is likely to excite many fans who are perhaps frustrated with watching Giroud's continued struggle with inconsistency.

Marchisio's well-rounded and finely tuned game would also be welcome in north London. He'd slot right in, could immediately make a subtle impact and would likely rank among the summer's best signings across Europe.