Gonzalo Higuain agrees to personal terms with Arsenal

Arsenal have landed what is arguably the biggest fish thus far in this summer’s transfer window, agreeing to personal terms with Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain.

The Times of London is reporting that the Gunners and Gonzalo Higuain have agreed to a four year deal worth £115,000 a week, while the Daily Mail claim the deal is worth £150,000 a week and the Mirror says it’s done at £130,000 per week. While Daily Mail and the Mirror are not the most trusted news sources in British football, The Times is a reputable source that we at Pro Soccer Talk are comfortable backing.

The Daily Mail further claims that Arsenal have agreed a £22 million fee with Real Madrid for Higuain, although that’s a claim that, despite widespread speculation, is an integral part of the deal that no one else has yet to confirm.

Two of the more trusted sources, The Guardian and Sky Sports, have yet to weight in on the personal terms although Sky Bet has suspended betting on Gonzalo Higuain’s next club. Sky Bet Football Trader Chris Spicer said:

The intensity of the betting and speculation suggesting Higuain is some way towards agreeing a deal has forced us to suspend betting on his next club. However, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal have the deal done or have just submitted a bid, as there will surely be competition for his services, with Juventus also backed to land the Argentina striker.

Whether Higuain’s salary is £115,000, £130,000 or £150,000 per week matters little in the sense that it will smash the £100,000 per week paid to Arsenal’s current highest paid player, Theo Walcott. Likewise, the £22 million fee would demolish the Gunners previous highest transfer fee of £15 million, which was paid to Zenit St Petersburg for Andrey Arshavin in January 2009.

Higuain has been at Real Madrid since December 2006 and after a slow start fired 49 goals in 59 La Liga starts in 2008-09 and 2009-10 before being reduced to a striker-by-committe role under Jose Mourinho, splitting time with Karim Benzema. Nevertheless, the Argentine has managed 107 goals in 180 La Liga appearances and will walk into the Gunners’ starting spot up top.

Higuain’s presence reportedly will not prompt Arsene Wenger to sell Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski or Theo Walcott but could effect the interest they have in splashing the cash on another world-class striker like Wayne Rooney. The Higuain deal will, however, prompt Wenger to dump most of his excess striking baggage, including Nicklas Bendtner, Marouane Chamakh, Park Chu-Young and (possibly) Gervinho.