Arsenal consider £40m move for Bundesliga’s third top scorer Loïs Openda
Arsenal are considering a £40m bid for a Bundesliga striker who came third in the scoring charts in Germany this term.
(Photo by Jacques Feeney).
Loïs Openda hit 24 goals for RB Leipzig during the campaign which saw Marco Rose’s side qualify for the Champions League.
The 24-year-old Belgian international also grabbed seven assists as Leipzig finished the season in fourth, one spot below Bayern Munich.
Arsenal have been strongly linked with a centre forward to bolster their squad once more, as they bid to challenge Manchester City again next season.
Mikel Arteta’s impressive side lost out on a first Premier League title in 20 years when they fell a mere two points short of the champions in a grapping title race – and are expected to invest again this summer.
Declan Rice was the club’s headline signing last year and proved his worth in a £105m deal, while the club have been strongly linked with a move for a new centre forward, with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Ivan Toney of Brentford in the frame.
However, with both strikers being rated by their respective clubs at more than £60m, the Gunners are looking for better value – which £40m rated Openda would offer.
Openda, who came on as substitute for Belgium during their 2-2 draw with England at Wembley back in March, was also ranked first across the entire Bundelisga in shot accuracy (65 per cent) beating Harry Kane (61 per ent).
While Kai Havertz eventually fulfilled the main striker’s role after an underwhelming start – that saw the German netting 13 league goals – Arsenal are interested in an upgrade, allowing Havertz to play a deeper but more creative role next term.
