Arsenal boss Wenger keen to sign forward before new season

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he wants to add one more attacking player to bolster his ranks before the new Premier League season.

Arsenal’s efforts to recruit attacking reinforcements have been thwarted with French club Olympique Lyonnais saying this week that they had rejected a 29 million pound ($38.26 million) bid for striker Alexandre Lacazette.

Wenger’s hopes of landing Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy earlier in the transfer window were also frustrated when the striker decided to extend his stay at the King Power stadium after being pursued by the North London club.

Forward Gonzalo Higuain was also heavily linked by British media with a move to Arsenal before he joined Juventus, while Wenger’s only forward signing in the current transfer window has been 21-year-old Japan international Takuma Asano.

“At the moment I have not too many attacking options in terms of experienced players,” Wenger told reporters following a pre-season 2-1 win over the Major League Soccer All-Stars team.

“There are also a few players who did not play (against the MLS all-Star team), like (Santi) Cazorla and of course (Mesut) Ozil and (Aaron) Ramsey are at home.

(Olivier) Giroud is also not here. “So we have options but we will still look outside to find one more.”