By Simon Jones
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Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are considering a January move for Shakhtar Donetsk's Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano.
Scouts from each of the clubs have been monitoring the 25-year-old for over a year and watched him during Shakhtar's narrow 3-2 Champions League defeat by Chelsea last week.
Spurs, Manchester City and Chelsea have all shown interest in Shakhtar's dynamic duo, Willian and Fernandinho, but a deal for Adriano could be less complex to negotiate.
Threat: Luiz Adriano (right) caused Chelsea problems during Shakhtar's narrow defeat
The speedy striker has scored 45 goals in 107 games for the Russian club and his valuation represents decent value in an escalating market. Arsenal are also weighing up Manchester City's Edin Dzeko and Napoli's Edinson Cavani but they would both cost considerably more in both transfer fees and wages.
Arsenal were offered Adriano in the summer and were keen but opted for Olivier Giroud instead. They need to off-load Marouane Chamakh in January to help free up wages but are also wary of losing Theo Walcott, with Liverpool interested.
Arsenal's main rivals for Adriano are Tottenham, who are keen to sign him and then revive interest in Willian. Boss Andre Villas-Boas is eager to strengthen his attacking options in January.Liverpool may find Adriano too expensive for this window.
None of the Shakhtar Brazilians automatically qualify for a work permit but Adriano's representatives believe they can put together a strong enough case to convince the appeals panel.
Arsenal have also scouted Burnley's Kieran Trippier, 22, as they look to strengthen their right back options with Bacary Sagna expected to leave.
Choice: Arsenal picked Olivier Giroud over Adriano in the summer
"Russian Club"? Really? I work for ESPN, and even we aren't this bad at reporting on football!
- Kibibi , London, 14/11/2012 06:54
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