Chelsea and Liverpool are also chasing the Ivory Coast striker
Published Saturday, June 02, 2012
Arsenal is zooming in on Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia, according to reports.
The Gunners are ready to step up their interest in 24-year-old Doumbia after learning that CSKA Moscow could drop their asking price to £15 million, the Daily Mail reported.
Chelsea and Liverpool are also tracking Doumbia, who scored 38 goals last season, and has a buy-out clause in his contract of £26m.
However, it is believed that CSKA would consider a smaller downpayment with add-ons that could take the fee up to £21m.
Doumbia wants to “make the next step” in his career and play in the Champions League.
Reports indicate that he will soon hold talks with the Gunners about a move to North London.
Doumbia said: “I am ready for the Italian championship, but also for Spain or England.”
But his agent, Jean Bernard Beytrison, denied that the Premier League was the most likely destination, adding: “We are waiting for official steps to be made by some clubs, and until then I don’t want to say anything.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will watch Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk’s Ukraine star Yevhen Konoplyanka, 22, at Euro 2012 as a potential replacement for Andrey Arshavin.
