Italy's Lazio are preparing €25m bid for Arsenal's Alex Iwobi ahead of the new season

ITALIAN giants Lazio are preparing a €25m bid for Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi with a view to purchasing him from Arsenal during the current transfer window as a replacement for Felipe Anderson who just left for West Ham.

 

Iwobi, 22, who came through the Arsenal youth ranks, was a member of Nigeria's squad to the just-concluded World Cup in Russia. Brought into the Arsenal senior team by former manager Arsene Wenger, Iwobi is currently with the Gunners on their pre-season tour of  Singapore but it is not clear what plans new boss Unai Emery has for the player.

 

According to Italian news outlet Ilmessaggero, Lazio wants either Iwobi, his Arsenal teammate Lucas Perez, Sevilla’s Joaquin Correa or Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa as a direct replacement for Anderson. Earlier this month, Anderson left the Stadio Olimpico to join West Ham for a club record transfer fee of £36m.

 

However, some sources close to the deal say Perez, 29, is more likely to be sold by Arsenal as he had just returned to the club after a season on loan with Deportivo La Coruna. Lazio has traditionally had a Nigerian on its books at one time or another with the likes of Ogenyi Onazi, Ayo Makinwa and Sani Emmanuel, all having played for the club at one time or another.

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