Accoding to reports from Spanish Media Outlet AS Sport, Arsenal are preparing a January bid for struggling Atletico Madrid winger Alessio Cerci. The 27-year-old right winger had joined the Spanish club from Torino earlier in the summer but has failed to live up his expectations of his season’s exploits. The reason has been simple, Atletico manager Diego Simeone has played summer signings Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic as attacking positions which has meant that Cerci has fallen further down the pecking order.
Cerci is thus frustrated and in a recent interview he claimed that he doesn’t have the patience to wait for his chances on the sidelines. Thus a move away from the Spanish capital is set on the cards with Arsenal very much in the running for the player. Cerci said, “We’ll see what happens with Atletico from now until January, I didn’t go to Madrid to not play. I was always relied upon in Italy, I don’t have the patience to sit and stay on the bench.”
Simeone also reckons that a mjority of clubs have targeted Cerci, “To me it does not hurt to talk. It’s not a thought to the coach. No train individually and collectively train. I read the papers and see that Manchester United, Arsenal and Inter all want Cerci. That must mean that Atletico are one hell of a team”
There is no doubt that Arsenal can land the player and would be a great transfer by Arsene Wenger. The Gunners are struggling with just 23 points 15 games and are currently sixth in the Premier League standings. Cerci would no doubt make it into the starting eleven at Arsenal despite the plethora of talent at the Emirates side. Moreover, Cerci capable of scoring goals would also add an attacking dimension as an attacking striker.