Spaniard will cost Gunners and co. £28M, says Urrutia

Arsenal, Juventus and Tottenham have been told by Atletic Bilbao president Josu Urrutia that they must splash out £28 million for Fernando Llorente if they want to sign him this summer.

The 27-year-old has attracted the attentions of several top clubs from around Europe after calling off talks over a new deal at the Basque club, thus leaving Athletic facing the prospect of losing their star player for nothing next summer.

Apparently, the Spanish forward, who netted 30 goals in 46 appearances last season, is looking to leave the San Mames Stadium and join a side which provides Champions League football.

However, Urrutia will not let Llorente leave unless an interested club meets the player’s buyout clause of £28 million.

Quoted in Spanish publication El Confidencial, Urrutia said:

‘If the player does not really want to be at this club, [someone] has to pay his buyout clause.’

I honestly believe that we are not necessarily in need of another striker coming in.

Even if Robin van Persie is sold, we have Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott who can all lead the line.

Undoubtedly, Llorente would be regarded as a major signing and would show the rest of the league, as well as Europe, that we mean business.

However, there are other areas of our team that need reinforcing, and splashing out £28 million – which would probably make Arsene Wenger’s head spin – on yet another forward wouldn’t make sense in my book.

Don’t get me wrong I would love to see Llorente join our club, but where the hell would he play?

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