Arsenal Willing to Break Transfer Record for Jovetic, Mail Says

Arsenal is prepared to break the club’s transfer record to sign Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, the Daily Mail reported.

Jovetic, 23, has emerged as Arsenal’s top target for the offseason with manager Arsene Wenger willing to meet Fiorentina’s valuation of 20 million pounds ($30 million), the Mail said. That would eclipse the 15 million pounds the Gunners paid Zenit St. Petersburg for Andrey Arshavin in 2009.

Wenger has a 70 million-pound transfer budget, but that may be cut if Arsenal fails to qualify for the Champions League, the Mail said. Jovetic is unlikely to consider a move without the prospect of playing in Europe’s top club competition.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bob Bensch at bbensch@bloomberg.net