Arsenal have £17m Joaquin Correa bid rejected by Lazio

Arsenal have seen a bid of £17m rejected by Lazio for Joaquín Correa, someone most supporters wouldn’t even have considered to be a target until his name was mentioned at this very moment. Maybe not even the club itself.

In the search for a playmaker, Arsenal have been pushing hard to bring Martin Odegaard back to north London. The Norwegian left a lasting impression on Mikel Arteta during his short stay, pushing him to the top of the club’s summer wishlist.

Emi Buendia was another creative option that didn’t come off, with the Gunners seeing a £30m bid rejected and then opting not to return for a second bite of the cherry, deeming their initial offer suitable for the Argentine and then calling it a day to focus on targets elsewhere.

A left-field option has since arisen in the form of Joaquín Correa, who multiple sources in Italy (via Football Italia) claim Arsenal have seen a bid rejected for. At a time where what is regurgitated onto the rumour mill has to be viewed with sceptical lenses, this one needs a few inspections.

Arsenal have questionable £17m Joaquín Correa bid rejected by Lazio as Mikel Arteta plots summer squad rebuild

It has been noted, however, that Arsenal would like to do their business out of the public eye this summer. Plenty has bubbled to the surface in regards to potential targets, but just like in January when Mat Ryan arrived on a surprise deal out of the blue, nothing can be out of the question.

Nonetheless, the Gunners’ bid has been rejected for the Argentine forward, with Lazio holding out for closer to €35m (£30m).

Operating as the second striker in Lazio’s 3-5-2 setup, the 26-year-old is given license to drop into an attacking midfield slot just as he is make the runs beyond. Last season he scored 11 goals and grabbed six assists across all competitions, with three of those strikes coming in the Champions League.

A very decent player, yes – his passing, carries, progressive qualities, goal and shot creation numbers are all exceptional – but not who will elevate Arsenal into a top four side with immediate effect. Nor is he the right profile, since the Gunners aren’t in need of another striker – yet – and Correa has found some joy in a system that Arteta does not employ in the Premier League.

Unless there is a change afoot? Correa certainly has scope to play in a 4-3-3 as a left-winger, but do Arsenal actually need one?

Never out of the realms of possibility, it appears the media frenzy of ‘X player linked with Y club’ has coughed up another one.