Liverpool and Arsenal lodge bids for African goal-machine
Liverpool and Arsenal are both crying out for a clinical 20-goal-a-season striker.
Roberto Firmino top-scored in the Premier League for Liverpool this term with just 10, while Arsenal again relied on the unreliable Olivier Giroud, who failed to hit the magic no.20 for the fourth campaign in a row.
According to reports in Portugal, both teams are now eyeing the same forward as a possible candidate to address their attacking shortcomings.
That forward is 27-year-old Islam Slimani, who netted 27 times in 33 league games for Sporting Lisbon during a prolific 2015-16 campaign.
Slimani also has a fine record at international level, with 23 goals in 43 senior outings for Algeria.
At 6′ 2″, the African goal-machine is dangerous in the air, while his work-rate and deadly finishing skills are his other main plus points.
Noticias Minuto claim that Liverpool and Arsenal have both had bids of around €25.3m (£20.1m) rejected for Slimani, who apparently has a €30m (£23.8m) release clause in his Sporting contract.
Before joining Sporting in 2013, Slimani was terrorising defences in Algeria, scoring goals left, right and centre for JSM Cheraga and CR Belouizdad.
Source: CaughtOffside
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