Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Gonzalo Higuain, Andriy Yarmolenko Rumours

Arsenal's supposed hunt for attacking reinforcements continues, as the latest transfer rumours link two familiar targets with a move to the Emirates: Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain and Dynamo Kiev's Andriy Yarmolenko.

Higuain has been a rumoured transfer target for the Gunners since his Real Madrid days―per the Daily Express' James Dickenson―and is now being linked with the club again, according to Fichajes.net (h/t Eurosport):

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Spanish website Fichajes reckons Higuain has returned to the top of Arsene Wenger's wishlist, after the manager (finally) accepted that Karim Benzema will not be leaving Real Madrid this summer.

However, it seems Higuain will be similarly difficult for Arsenal to prise away - with Napoli slapping a £59 million transfer fee on the Argentina international.

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The 27-year-old joined the Partenopei in 2013 and has been the team's designated striker ever since, scoring 17 goals in his first season in Serie A and following it up with an 18-goal campaign last year, per WhoScored.com.

His numbers have dropped somewhat compared to his time with Los Blancos, where he mainly played off the bench and scored at a higher rate, and he has struggled with the Argentinian national team, missing vital chances in both the 2014 World Cup final and this summer's Copa America.

Higuain is a consistent striker, but he no longer looks like the world-class option teams were bidding for back in 2013. Athleticism has never been his strongest suit, and while he still has the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, his deadly finishing seems to have stayed behind in Madrid.

You would expect a player's statistics to improve once he becomes the focal point of an attack, but the opposite happened with Higuain. Perhaps his great numbers with Los Blancos were a product of the fact he got to play against defenders who had already tired during the match, but whatever the explanation may be, it's unlikely his number would improve greatly in the Premier League.

None of this makes Higuain a bad striker―but at a reported fee of £59 million, you'd expect to sign a world-class option up front, something Higuain is not.

There may be some wiggle room, however, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has already acknowledged finishing is a problem for his squad and signings may arrive, via ArsenalFan TV:

Napoli missed out on Champions League qualification on the final Serie A matchday last season, so the club are looking to recover those lost funds somewhere else. It would be difficult for the Partenopei to turn down a significant offer, although their asking price will not drop too much.

It would still be difficult for the two clubs to come to an agreement, however, something Eurosport's report acknowledged. Higuain simply isn't enough of an upgrade over Olivier Giroud to warrant a massive transfer fee, and Napoli would have little time to find an adequate replacement this close to the end of the transfer window.

Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images

Another option may be Yarmolenko, the Ukrainian winger who reportedly turned down an approach from Wenger because it was his dream to play for Barcelona, per Sport (h/t Barcastuff). Fichajes.net (h/t Metro's Louis Sealey) now claims the Gunners are readying a £14.5 million offer, as the Blaugrana are reportedly not interested in his services.

Yarmolenko seems eager to leave Dynamo Kiev this summer, via sports writer Pete O'Rourke:

The 25-year-old is an incredible physical specimen, a quick and athletic winger built like a traditional striker. He's tall, strong and has an impressive bag of tricks, and Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe believes he's a massively underrated player:

In his article, Tighe talks about the possibility of using him as a striker:

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He's still very much Dynamo's first-choice right-winger and has started all five Premier League games so far this season in that position, but can fill in up front when asked to and put in a shift. His measurables mean he's a natural physical fit, and although he doesn't get the room to dribble and take players on as much, he can still make himself a one-on-one handful.

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Ideally, Yarmolenko would play in a system that would give him the freedom to roam and cut inside as much as he wants, and as a versatile option who could start or be a huge threat off the bench, he would present solid value for the Gunners.

A fee of £14.5 million seems fair for a player who has largely flown under the radar due to the fact he has always played in Ukraine. His performances in the Europa League and for the national team suggest he should handle himself nicely in a tougher league, although there may be some initial struggles.

Whether he's good enough to be a starter for the Gunners remains a question mark, but at a reported fee of £14.5 million, it's a risk Wenger should take. The worst-case scenario is he becomes a prolific back-up with the versatility to play all over the front three, and adding depth is never a bad thing.

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