Arsenal Transfer News: Lewandowski is Van Persie Replacement?

According to Crunchsports.com, Arsenal have joined the race to sign Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski in the wake of Robin Van Persie's shock announcement this week that he would not be signing an extension to his deal that expires next summer. 23-year-old Lewandowski has been linked with a move to Manchester United all summer but Arsenal are preparing to muscle in on their rivals' interest and make a bid for the Polish striker using the money they expect to gain from selling Van Persie, likely to Manchester City or Juventus. Arsenal are preparing to hold out for anywhere between £20 to 30 million for their captain and Arsene Wenger is already planning his strategy to invest the money straight back into the squad by replacing the Dutch striker with Lewandowski. Of course Wenger had already brought in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud to his frontline as Van Persie stalled on his new deal but without Van Persie or a suitable replacement's goals and assists, Arsenal fans could start fearing another season where a top four finish becomes a struggle that goes all the way down to the wire. Lewandowski has been linked with a move to the Premier League throughout the summer, which was hyped up by the Polish coach Franciszek Smuda who hinted a move to England was a possibility even though his club Borussia Dortmund denied the claims. It is unclear how serious Manchester United€™s interest is or how much financial clout they even have to make the move, but if Arsenal act quick enough they might be able to snatch the player away from right under Sir Alex€™s nose.