“We didn’t even want to talk” – La Liga club director confirms Arsenal made enquiry for striker
Espanyol have confirmed that Arsenal have made contact with the club for Raul de Tomas. The club's director, Jose Maria Duran, made the revelation while he was on Catalan TV channel, Esport 3, recently.
The Gunners have been looking for a striker ever since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's fall out with Mikel Arteta. The Gabonese striker was frozen out following a disciplinary breach, even stripping him of the captaincy.
He's now close to joining Barcelona on loan as the player was pictured arriving in the Catalan capital just a few hours ago.
Their other options in the striker position, Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette, have been unreliable and touted to leave in the summer once their contract expires.
De Tomas was on their radar too, his prolific run of form this season in La Liga garnering attention from several quarters.
#AFCEspanyol director José María Durán to Esport 3: “Arsenal called for Raúl de Tomás but we didn’t even want to talk. We won’t let him go now, no way. His release clause is €75m”. 🚫🇪🇸 #AFC
He's been the only shining light of their erratic campaign, scoring 12 goals and making two assists in 21 games, accounting for nearly 54% of their total strikes.
Signed from Benfica for a club-record fee of €20 million in January 2020, the Spaniard also helped them gain promotion to La Liga last year. He scored 23 goals in 37 games, the most in the Segunda Division.
His meteoric rise also saw him break into Spain's national team last year. De Tomas made his international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Greece in November before earning a second cap in the next game.
Arsenal's attacking woes remain unresolved
Arsenal were interested in bringing him to the Emirates but Duran confirmed that they weren't ready to let him go. He said:
“Arsenal called for Raúl de Tomás but we didn’t even want to talk. We won’t let him go now, no way. His release clause is €75m."
Spanish outlet AS reported that De Tomas' transfer could be unlocked once Aubameyang leaves on loan.
However, according to The Athletic, the Gunners weren't pursuing a deal despite persistent links between them and the 27-year-old forward.
Bukayo Saka was the only player to score for Arsenal in January 😳 https://t.co/6S9mz1T3ES
They've also been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Alvaro Morata after the Spaniard refused to leave Turin this month despite Dusan Vlahovic's arrival from Fiorentina.
Mikel Arteta's side could realistically close out the month without any major signings in the attacking department.