Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours, Players Wanted Ahead of Summer Window

Arsenal have suffered a big blow in their pursuit of talismanic striker Gonzalo Higuain, as La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have entered the race to secure his services.

The Gunners are desperate to bring a striker to the Emirates Stadium capable of notching over 30 league goals per season, and the Argentinian looked like the perfect candidate for the job.

However, Champions League runners-up Atletico are set to offer Napoli a very attractive player-plus-cash deal that could tempt them into a sale.

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press

According to Isaac Suarez of Marca (h/t James Benson of Daily Express), Madrid are ready to submit a £42 million bid for Higuain and send one of Luciano Vietto, Oliver Torres, Borja Gonzalez or Leo Baptistao in the other direction.

Just last month, Suarez reported Atletico manager Diego Simeone is determined to land Higuain this summer, as he believes he's the player they need to finally win the Champions League.

Simeone reportedly loves the 28-year-old's work rate, finishing ability and experience, and who could blame him? Here's a look at what Higuain can bring to the table:

The Argentinian scored 36 goals in just 35 Serie A performance last term, per WhoScored.com, and quickly established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in world football.

In other words, he's exactly what Arsenal need.

Similar to Olivier Giroud, Higuain has a dynamic touch in front of goal and often finds himself in the right place at the right time to find the back of the net.

However, unlike the Frenchman, he also has the ability to create something out of nothing, exploding past defenders before slamming the ball home.

There's a reason why Atletico are willing to part with so much cash for the striker, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has to lay his cards on the table, or he'll risk missing out on another exciting talent.

Elsewhere, the Gunners are set to do battle with Real Madrid to land VfL Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez.

Swiss newspaper Blick reported Rodriguez's release clause of £21 million is no longer valid, and clubs are looking to swoop for a bargain (via James Gray of Daily Express).

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

The Bundesliga side are yet to receive any concrete offers, but based on the full-back's performance in UEFA Euro 2016, it’s likely to only be a matter of time.

Arsenal have a few key areas to address if they want to compete in the 2016/17 Premier League.

The signing of Granit Xhaka bridged one gap in central midfield, but a new striker and defensive reinforcements are a must.

Should Wenger fail to bring further world-class assets to the Emirates, fans' patience will quickly run out for the Frenchman.