Arsenal have entered the race to sign Newcastle United forward Ayoze Perez, according to The Sun.
The Spaniard has been in fine form this season, hitting 12 goals in the Premier League, and it is understood that he is attracting widespread attention.
As well as the Gunners, the report credits Italian part Inter Milan and Napoli with an interest in the 25-year-old as well.
It is believed that the Magpies value their man at £25 million, over 16 times more than the £1.5 million they signed him for from Tenerife.
OPINION
If this is true, then it is bad news for Newcastle. It is understandable that Perez is attracting this kind of attention, but you have to wonder whether Newcastle have the willpower to resist it. It is no secret that Mike Ashley likes making money, and the temptation of such a ridiculous mark up could be enough to make him sell. Perez has been in fine form this season, and would be incredibly difficult to replace, but the owner rarely considers these kind of issues, and usually thinks about little else but his wallet. For a club desperate to make steady progress, that is a massively detrimental mindset to have, and if he were to sanction the sale of Perez this summer, you can bet that there would be a fair few Geordies up in arms as another prized asset walks away from the club. The Toon Army need to keep Perez.
