This summer transfer window is set to have some of the biggest moves on offer as a number of high-profile players are prepared to make the switch. Two of those are Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, who appear to have intertwining fates, with one potential move impacting the other.
London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are two sides who will be monitoring the situation closely, as both have been linked with a move for Haaland to solve their woes in the forward department. football.london understands that Mikel Arteta is on the search for two strikers this summer, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving in January for Barcelona and duo Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah set to leave as free agents.
Add to that their goal scoring woes, with the strikers only scoring four goals in the Premier League this season and it doesn’t make for good reading from a Gunners perspective. Discussing that issue after defeat to Brighton on Saturday, Arteta said: "We need to score more goals that’s for sure. That’s a collective issue."
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Whilst the issue isn’t quite as pressing at Chelsea, they may turn to an outright goal scorer in Haaland come the summer. Romelu Lukaku was pinned down to be that man when he made the club-record move back to Stamford Bridge last summer, but with just five league goals and often starting from the bench in the latter half of the season, it’s been a struggle for the Belgian.
The problem is somewhat dealt with as Kai Havertz has taken the main striker role well, but with just seven goals in the league this season too, there may be a desire to add to the striking ranks. That is where Haaland comes in, having scored 16 Bundesliga goals in just 19 appearances this season at only 21-years-old.
Reports claim he has a £62million release clause that would activate this summer and could allow him to join a club for a fraction of his potential worth in the future. However, the two London sides aren’t the only ones said to be interested in the Norwegian.
The Mirror reports that Real Madrid will mount an offensive to sign the forward this summer due to a decision made by Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe. The Frenchman, who was heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu as a free agent in the summer, is now expected to make a reverse on his decision to leave the French capital and will renew his deal.
With Los Blanco s eyeing a key striker this summer, this has turned their attention to signing Haaland instead and will represent a huge blow to both Chelsea and Arsenal in their reported pursuit. However, as seen in the case of Mbappe, it can all change in an instant and there’s plenty of time left before the window even opens.
