Arsenal Transfer News: Gonzalo Higuain Eyes Napoli Exit, Mathieu Flamini Rumours

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has reportedly told the Partenopei he wishes to leave Italy, amid rumours of a possible £43 million transfer bid from Arsenal.

According to Calciomercato.com (h/t Daily Express' Uche Amako), the Argentina international, who has a release clause of roughly £67.4 million, still has a contract until 2018, although it seems doubtful he will stick around that long.

Higuain made headlines for all the wrong reasons during Argentina's 2015 Copa America loss against Chile, when he missed a golden opportunity to give the Albiceleste the title late in the match before missing in the penalty shootout. As shared by Football Stuff, it's starting to become a habit for the 27-year-old:

His latest miss just about blew up the internet, with athletes from other sports even joining in on the fun. Snooker star Neil Robertson made one of the better jokes:

He's been Napoli's top scorer since joining the Italians from Real Madrid in 2013, but following Napoli's disappointing finish to the 2014/15 Serie A campaign, which saw the Partenopei lose out on a ticket for the Champions League, a transfer has seemed almost inevitable.

Napoli have no intention of letting their star man walk for pennies on the dollar, however. As reported by Gazzetta Dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports), president Aurelio De Laurentiis has previously stated he will not leave the club for any fee under his buyout clause:

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Higuain's future? If a player has a contract this contract has to be respected. If a madman arrives and offers to pay his buy-out clause then one must consider it. Otherwise Pipita [Higuain] will remain here.

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A fee of roughly £67.4 million seems ridiculous for a 27-year-old striker who has regressed since leaving Los Blancos―in fact, even the potential bid pf £43 million the Gunners are reportedly considering seems like a massive amount of money for Higuain.

The Argentinian scored 18 goals in Serie A last season as Napoli's primary scoring option, per WhoScored. The year before, he had 17. Those are solid numbers, but it's not the kind of production you'd expect from a player who would have to cost the Gunners roughly the record fee they paid for Mesut Ozil, via ESPN.

One could argue that at this point in his career, Higuain isn't even a better option than Olivier Giroud, who has continued to improve for the Gunners and could be in for a strong season in 2015/16. Perhaps all Higuain needs is a change of scenery, but looking at the numbers reportedly involved, that fresh start won't come at the Emirates.

Mathieu Flamini to be Released?

Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Associated Press

According to Eurosport (h/t Metro's Will Giles), Mathieu Flamini could be on his way to French Ligue 2 club Bastia, with the Gunners willing to release the midfielder from his contract in order to facilitate a move:

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Arsene Wenger appears to be orchestrating something of a clear-out this summer with Lukas Podolski joining Galatasaray and the club listening to offers for David Ospina, Joel Campbell and Flamini.

And according to Eurosport, Bastia’s interest in the 31-year-old could see Arsenal release him on a free transfer to enable the move to go through.

Bastia would only be able to sign the midfielder for free due to financial issues at the club, and would also require him to accept a substantial wage reduction.

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As reported by Get French Football News, Bastia were relegated to the French second division due to financial irregularities, and while the club has decided to appeal, it seems they will have to start the 2015/16 in Ligue 2.

Flamini hardly made any starts for the Gunners during the second half of the 2014/15 season and doesn't appear to have a future at the club.

The 31-year-old holds little value on the transfer market at this point, and with manager Arsene Wenger cleaning out the squad before making new signings, it's no stretch to believe he could be released.

Francis Coquelin has emerged as Arsenal's clear starter at the base of the midfield, and the only thing Flamini would be doing next is season is provide cover for his compatriot.

The fans would rather see a new arrival to replace Flamini, either in the form of a star player who could immediately slot into the starting XI or another younger, talented player.

A lot will depend on whether or not Wenger can find extra cover at the position. If not, it makes little sense to just release Flamini and risk running into major trouble should a wave of injuries hit the squad.

It's also doubtful Bastia would be able to afford Flamini given their financial struggles, even if he decides to take a pay cut. But should he become a free agent, other teams would undoubtedly be interested.

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