Arsenal are interested in striking deals for Ivoirian brothers, Hamed and Amad Traorè, who have both been earning rave reviews in Italy, reports 90min.com.
An attacking midfielder, 20-year-old Hamed is currently on loan with Sassuolo from Empoli, while younger brother, Amad, is a 17-year-old winger, who has managed three appearances for Atalanta’s senior side this year.
Arsenal are on the lookout for some exciting, young forwards to rejuvenate their struggling side, and a source has confirmed to 90min that both Traorè brothers have played their way on to the Gunners’ radar.
This isn’t the first time that Arsenal have targeted Ivoirian brothers. They brought in Kolo Touré in 2002 and famously turned down brother Yaya shortly after, and now the Traorès have emerged as potential targets for the Gunners.
However, there is an acceptance that striking a deal for either will be incredibly tough – particularly for Hamed.The 20-year-old is only halfway through a two-year loan with Sassuolo, who have an obligation to buy him once the deal comes to an end in 2021. To make matters more complicated, Juventus also have first refusal on Hamed, which is expected to push his price up.
Nevertheless, Arsenal scouts have been left hugely impressed with Hamed, and they believe that a fee of £20 million could be enough to convince Sassuolo to part with the midfielder earlier than expected, although club officials are well aware of just how difficult negotiations could be.
As for Amad, his age and relative inexperience could make him slightly easier to sign, but Atalanta see him as a potential star of the future and they do not want to let him walk away so early in his development.
However, there is a concern that Amad’s progress may have moved him out of their price range already. Arsenal have other targets in mind and do not want to spend a large portion of their budget on the two brothers. They will continue to monitor both Hamed and Amad and there is a willingness to pursue both deals, but only if the finances make sense.
