Arsenal monitoring Porto striker amid Gyökeres struggles
Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on another Portuguese based striker, with FC Porto forward Samu Aghehowa said to be attracting interest from the club as they continue to weigh up their attacking options.
The links come despite Arsenal already having invested heavily in a forward from Portugal's top flight this year, with Viktor Gyökeres arriving from Sporting Club. The Swedish striker has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and has yet to consistently produce his best form, a fact the club appears not to be ignoring as it continues to scout the market.
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Who is Samu Aghehowa?
The 21 year old was close to joining Chelsea a few seasons ago before that proposed move broke down. He instead moved to Portugal, where he has produced impressive performances for Porto and established himself as a highly regarded attacking player.
His progress has not been entirely smooth, however, with a long term injury having forced him to miss a significant number of games. Despite that setback, he remains highly rated and continues to draw interest from clubs across Europe.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal are among the clubs monitoring the striker's situation as they assess ways to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the next transfer window. Fichajes is a Spanish outlet whose transfer reports should be treated with some caution relative to tier one sources.
Would he solve Arsenal's attacking question?
Several players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, have made the move from Portuguese football to the Premier League and thrived. Others have found the jump far more difficult, a reminder that performances in Portugal do not always translate to instant success in England.
Signing another striker would give Mikel Arteta's side additional options in attack, particularly if Gyökeres continues to experience difficulties adapting to English football. Aghehowa's injury history, though, is something the club would need to weigh carefully before committing to any deal.
For now, Arsenal's reported interest in the Porto forward remains at the monitoring stage, with no indication a formal move is imminent. Whether that changes in the coming months will likely depend as much on Gyökeres' form between now and January as it does on Aghehowa's own availability and performances for Porto.
