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It has been reported today that Premier League sides Arsenal and Chelsea will both move for the West Brom starlet Saido Berahino when the transfer window re-opens in January, with Ligue 1 money bags Monaco also keeping a close eye on the situation. The midfielder has reportedly stalled on contract talks at the Hawthorns and is understood to be waiting for offers from bigger clubs.
According to The Metro, the Burundian-born youngster only has 18 months left to run on his £850-per-week contract at West Brom and while the Baggies are desperate to convince him to commit to the club for the long term with a lucrative offer, it is said that the player will snub any new contract at the club in favour of a move to Arsenal or Chelsea.
The 20-year-old, who scored the winner in the Baggies’ famous victory at Old Trafford, has been quite a revelation for the Midlands side this season, having scored 6 goals in 9 appearances for the club so far. The young Englishman is said to be hopeful of making Roy Hodgson’s side for the World Cup in the summer and feels that a move to a big club will boost his chances of taking to the pitch in Brazil.
Speaking from an Arsenal point of view, I am nit sure he is of the quality we are looking for. The report in itself, I believe, is an exaggeration by the media after his flying start to the season. However, as exaggerated as it may be, I wouldn’t doubt the overall credibility of the story as Berahino has been widely tipped for success and his contract situation indicates that he will be available on the cheap. The Gunners could certainly do with a bit more firepower up front.
While talks of a January bid are a little premature at the moment, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Wenger already has the England U-21 international penned down as a potential target in the future, he has the attributes that the Arsenal manager likes to see in a player and he would offer something different to our big front man Giroud. However, as for now, I believe Marco Reus and Pedro Rodriguez are the players we should be looking at.
