Manchester United and Arsenal are reportedly monitoring Porto striker Samu Aghehowa. The 21-year-old Spaniard arrived at the Premiera Liga giants last summer from Atletico Madrid.
Aghehowa contributed 25 goals and three assists in 42 games across competitions last season. That includes 19 goals and three assists in 30 games in the league, where Martin Anselmi’s side finished third, behind winners Sporting CP and Benfica.
Despite being contracted with Porto till 2029, Aghehowa has attracted interest from Premier League bigwigs. As per Caught Offside (via TBR), the Red Devils and the Gunners have been credited with interest in the services of the 21-year-old Spaniard, who was reportedly close to joining Chelsea in January.
As per the aforementioned report, Aghehowa – likened with former Blues striker Diego Costa – has a release clause of £83 million, and Porto might not let him leave for anything less than £59-63 million.
Having also played for Granada and Alaves (while on loan from Atletico), the young striker – who’s also reportedly on Aston Villa’s radar – has scored 52 times and provided four assists in 112 games across competitions.
Arsenal and Manchester United are coming off contrasting seasons. While the Blues won the UEFA Europa Conference League to create history and finished fourth in the Premier League, the Red Devils lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final and finished a dismal 15th in the league.
The defeat to Spurs means Ruben Amorim’s side will be without European football for the first time in a decade. They now face a long off-season of introspection and a possible roster rehaul ahead of the new campaign.
Meanwhile, Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third straight season. They also reached their first UEFA Champions League semi-final since 2009, losing 3-1 on aggregate to eventual champions PSG.
The Gunners will head into the off-sesaon looking to reinforce key areas like attack, having missed key attackers for large swathes during the recently concluded campaign.
Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.
Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.
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