Arsenal & Chelsea miss out on striker target as Borussia Dortmund win transfer race
- Arsenal & Chelsea both on the hunt for new striker
- Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy touted as potential cut-price target
- 28-year-old has opted to sign for Borussia Dortmund
By Tom Gott
Arsenal and Chelsea have missed out on the signature of Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy, who has chosen to join Borussia Dortmund this summer.
In his first year with Stuttgart, 28-year-old Guirassy netted an incredible 30 goals in 30 games and predictably found himself on the radars of Europe's elite clubs - not least because of his €17.5m (£14.8m) release clause.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have been repeatedly linked with Guirassy on their respective searches for a new striker, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Stuttgart striker has instead opted to take his talents to Dortmund.
Stuttgarter Nachrichten note that Guirassy had his pick of clubs from "Milan, London and Dortmund" before opting to accept the offer which included the highest salary.
Guirassy's imminent move to Dortmund brings an end to this lengthy transfer saga and further reduces the options available to clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea.
Chelsea have already moved to reinforce their forward line by striking a deal to sign 18-year-old Marc Guiu from Barcelona for another bargain fee of €6m (£5.1m).
While Guiu is expected to be given a chance in Chelsea's senior side under Enzo Maresca, he is not expected to be the final attacking signing this summer, with the Blues still looking at other targets. Lille's Jonathan David is understood to be an option.
As for Arsenal, reports continue to link the Gunners with expensive moves for Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres.
Napoli manager Antonio Conte recently confirmed there are "agreements" with Osimhen over a summer transfer. The Nigerian's contract includes a release clause worth over £100m - a fee high enough to scare Chelsea away earlier this summer.
The two London rivals had both been part of the chase for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, who opted to sign a new deal with the Bundesliga side with a view to a big-money transfer in 2025.
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