Gonzalo Higuain has rejected a contract extension from Napoli according to the player’s agent.
The news will put Arsenal on alert, who have been rumoured to be looking to sign a striker all summer.
The 27-year-old Argentina international has been on manager Arsene Wenger’s radar before. The Gunners tried to sign him in the summer of 2013, however he opted for Napoli.
In two years in Naples, he’s scored 53 goals in 102 games, and scored over 20 goals in all competitions last season.
However, he’s believed to be ready to leave the club, especially after their 5th place Serie A finish and failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The strikers brother and agent, Nicolas, has revealed his client will not be extending his stay in Naples, fuelling speculation he’s leaving.
He told Radio Crc: “We had a meeting with the President [Aurelio De Laurentiis] in Venice 10 days ago.
“We talked about everything. He offered a one-year contract extension, however, in my opinion – and in our opinion – we’ll continue with the original contract, expiring in 2018.
“I don’t think we’ll accept the president’s offer, because the contract isn’t that different to the one we signed before, so for us it’s not a real offer.
“We’re calm and happy to continue with the current conditions.”
The Argentine’s rejection of a new contract is sure to garner interest from a number of clubs across Europe, and Arsenal could well be one of them: “At the moment, we have faith, Gonzalo will stay at Napoli, in a team which is 100 per cent focused and can win something.
“It seems strange, but the big clubs have not contacted me, nor have I spoken with anyone.”
Wenger has said he only wants to add “top, world class players” to his squad this summer, and has done so with the signing of goalkeeper Petr Cech.
The Gunners are one club who can afford the forward, a position that Wenger is looking to strengthen, according to Arsenal director Lord Harris. He told the Daily Mail: “We get a list of the players that Wenger wants. On the list is a centre forward, but I’m not going to tell you who he is.
“You’ve got to get the other team to want to sell him, but I think he wants to come. It basically comes down to whether the other team can find a superstar to replace him, because they don’t have to sell.”
