Sources: Arsenal offering £30m-valued star in player-exchange bid for Martinez
Arsenal are offering Hector Bellerin in part-exchange for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez, Football Insider has learned.
The Gunners have set their sights on luring the Argentina international, 23, as they look to sign an elite striker this summer.
An Arsenal source has told Football Insider that the club won’t be able to match Inter’s £75million valuation of Martinez.
But they are looking to tempt the Serie A champions into a deal by offering Bellerin as part of a player-plus-cash bid.
Arsenal value the right-back, 26, at around the £30m mark now he has entered the final two years of his contract.
The Gunners are aware that Inter are strapped for cash and could have to offload another of their leading stars.
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The recently-crowned champions have already sold right-back Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain this summer in a deal worth over £60m.
Bellerin would provide a proven replacement for Hakimi amid major doubts over his Gunners future.
The Spain international has made it clear to the Arsenal hierarchy he is keen to leave this summer for a new challenge.
Signing a striker has now become a priority for Mikel Arteta as the signing of centre-back Ben White is finalised this week.
Martinez has been targeted on the back of three outstanding seasons at Inter, where he has developed into one of the Italian league’s top attackers.
He scored 19 goals and supplied 11 assists from 48 matches in all competitions last season.
In other news, pundit expects “deal to be done” after Sky Italy’s update on Arsenal signing another Serie A star.