Wenger wants Napoli hitman but price could be too high

Thursday, January 17, 2013
11:57 AM

Transfer news: Arsene Wenger is interested in signing Napoli hotshot Edinson Cavani but admits the Uruguayan could be too expensive.

The Arsenal manager has been focused on tying Theo Walcott down to a new deal but that could be completed by this weekend with Wenger this morning saying of the negotiations, “My optimism is at 99 per cent now”.

That could leave him free to pursue other targets and the Frenchman admits the 25-year-old Uruguayan - who has fired 25 goals in 24 games this term - is on his radar, but the £50million buyout clause in his contract would be likely to price the Londoners out of a move for him.

“I like him as a player,” said Wenger.

“Will he cost a lot of money? That’s for sure. Nobody would deny that.

“Our banker lives just next to me at the moment and he is ready if we find the right player.”

Should needs be, Wenger is happy to play a waiting game as the transfer clock ticks on.

“The prices go always up at the start of the transfer market and go down in the last week. Sometimes as well they go up in the last week, but it depends,” he said.

“Most of the time they go down in the last week and you know as well that 90 per cent of transfer activity happens in the last week if not in the last 48 hours.”