It would appear as if Arsenal has lost the race to sign Porto striker Jackson Martinez after the player’s agent Luiz Henrique Pompeo confirmed he would be moving to La Liga to play for Atletico Madrid.
The Gunners along with Italian giants AC Milan were both interested in the 28-year-old Colombian international, but it now appears as though he will be joining Atletico Madrid as a direct replacement for Mario Mandzukic who just completed his move to Juventus.
According to Spanish publication AS, Atletico will pay Martinez’s €35m (£24.8m) release clause, with the striker set to pen a four-year deal with Los Rojiblancos.
“It was finalised today,” Pompeo is said to have told the paper. “We want to thank Milan for their interest right up until the end, we feel very honoured by it, but you can’t be in two places at once.
“It [Atletico] is a very big club, which has done important things in the league and in Europe.
“Jackson is going there to also achieve great things and to bring the best out of himself to become even better. That’s his dream and he’s very excited. He’s really happy.”
