Juventus set to beat Arsenal to bargain deal for Bilbao star Fernando Llorente

Posted Thursday, January 17, 2013 by Metro.co.uk

Juventus set to beat Arsenal to bargain deal for Bilbao star Fernando Llorente
Old Lady bound: Fernando Llorente appears set for a switch to Juventus

Arsenal are set to miss out on a deal for Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente with Juventus said to be in advanced talks over a transfer.

Spain striker Llorente is set to quit Bilbao when his contract expires at the end of the season, but Juventus are hopeful they can capture him this month for a nominal fee.

According to reports in Italy, Juve have offered Bilbao £3million for the vastly experienced centre forward, and negotiations could come to a successful conclusion by the weekend.

The news is bound to disappoint the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and especially Arsenal, all of whom had been linked with moves for Llorente in recent months.

However, his apparent desire to play in Italy has proved telling, and Bilbao are ready to cash in.

Llorente’s switch to Juve would cross another leading name of Arsenal’s list of striker targets, with Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Demba Ba and David Villa already being ruled out.