One of the most curious Arsenal-related rumours of this current iteration of the transfer window is Arsene Wenger’s rumoured interest in Shakhtar Donestsk forward Douglas Costa.
Given how many options Arsenal already have in this department, can we really believe that he’s interested in signing another attacking-minded recruit? It just seems a little unlikely.
Then again, Arsene Wenger is known for his propensity to compound and confuse. If you expect him to do one thing, there’s a good chance that he’s going to end up doing something else entirely.
Take last summer. With the whole world expecting him to bring in a centre-forward, he ended up breaking his club’s transfer record to bring in Mesut Ozil. The move was a strange one, as Arsenal didn’t look short of options in the centre-of-the-park.
The case is similar with Douglas Costa this time round. Arsenal don’t seem to need him, but would it really surprise you to see Wenger snap him up?
Given the political situation in the Ukraine, it’s not all that surprising that players like Douglas Costa are looking to jump ship. Whether Shakhtar Donetsk are willing to sell, however, is a completely different matter.
The Metro are even claiming that he would cost as much as £40m. That makes him just a couple of million pounds cheaper than Mesut Ozil. A bit bizarre, no?
There’s no doubt that he’s a good player, but I’m not sure he’s a world-beater and I’m not sure he’s worthy of a £40m price-tag. In 170 appearances for Shakhtar, he’s scored 33 goals. He’s never scored more than 7 goals per season.
Even with his technique, flair and pace, there’s reason for worry. What if Costa struggles to adapt to the Premier League? Is there space for him in Arsenal’s first team?
As such, there’s no way that Arsene Wenger will be willing to shell out £40m for Costa. But, and this is a big but, if The Professor can talk Shakhtar down and decrease the player’s price-tag, then this could prove to be a smart deal. Arsenal just need to make sure that the price is right.
What’s your take? Do The Gunners really need to sign Douglas Costa? Are there other cheaper options that they should consider?
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