Arsenal closing in on £20m signing of Sporting striker Tiago Tomas

Arsenal are close to finalising the £20m signing of Sporting Lisbon’s Tiago Tomas ahead of bringing the striker to north London in the summer.

‘Who?’ is understandable response.

The 18-year-old broke into the Sporting first team at the tail end of the previous campaign, since becoming a regular feature in 2020/21 with 18 appearances in Liga NOS, eight of which were starts.

A return of two goals and two assists from his 23 senior outings is hardly worth shouting about, but Edu has nonetheless been hugely impressed. Working on a deal with his opposite number, Hugo Viana, at Sporting, a move has been in the offing for a number of weeks.

Arsenal close to finalising a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign 18-year-old striker Tiago Tomas for £20m in the summer transfer window

This all comes courtesy of The Sun, who insist a deal is in the final stages of being completed before Tomas will move to Arsenal at the end of the season.

He only put pen to paper on a new five-year deal just just last summer after six years with the club, one that included a whopping £50m buyout clause, but given the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic and Sporting’s somewhat excessive spending in recent years, the Gunners will be able to secure their man for closer to £20m.

It isn’t only Edu who has been enamoured by Tiago Tomas, as Mikel Arteta is firmly in the ‘yes’ camp as he looks to build his rebuild his failing squad. Unbeknownst previously, the duo attended the Derby de Lisboa earlier in February to scout out their upcoming Europa League opponents, Benfica, in which time they were also able to get a first-hand look at Tomas.

Not getting on the scoresheet, the 18-year-old nonetheless helped his side to a 1-0 win that keeps them top of the Liga NOS table. Now it seems the Premier League beckons.

Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah & Folarin Balogun

Arsenal have big decisions to make on all three of their current centre-forward options.

Alexandre Lacazette is in the final 18 months of his deal and with age not on his side, and whether the Gunners decide to cash in during the summer remains to be seen. One would expect that given his age and inconsistencies, coupled with him being one of a few players in the squad who could garner a decent enough fee, that he will be moved on.

Eddie Nketiah will likely stay and pen fresh terms, maybe even with an eye on going on loan elsewhere depending on what happens with Tomas. If the Portuguese forward is deemed ready for action he may force a change of heart on Nketiah, although he may too be loaned out for the coming campaign.

Arteta has insisted that Balogun wants to remain at Arsenal, a feeling he shares, even expressing his confidence in a new contract being signed. On previous occasions where he’s said likewise, he’s been proven right.

The need for a better all-round striker, one who could ideally head a ball, remains a necessity, but it’s fair to assume that task won’t be immediately bestowed upon an 18-year-old with only a smattering of senior outings to his name. If all goes ahead, his role could be with the Under-23 side or indeed temporarily elsewhere.

One key point is the hefty fee. £20m may not seem like a considerable amount, but knowing of Arsenal’s tight finances and spending that much on a striker who will may have little impact for the coming season is intriguing. The club clearly don’t want to miss out on his signature and believe he’ll blossom into a superstar, yet a slightly more experienced option will arguably be more alluring to supporters. That may still come.

Arsenal are planning for the future and it’s welcome to see business being dealt with so early in the year, if indeed the report is to be believed. Edu and Arteta obviously see something special in the striker, so here’s to another Gabriel Martinelli and not a Willian.