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Arsenal show interest in Samaras
By Andrew McKenzie



Samaras is under contract at Heerenveen until 2008
Arsenal face competition if they decide to make a bid for Heerenveen's highly-rated striker Georgios Samaras.

Reports claim Arsenal are to sign the 20-year-old and Heerenveen team manager Joop Heida confirmed Arsenal had watched the Greek forward.

But he told BBC Sport: "Arsenal are not the only club interested in Georgios.

"He will not be going in January. If he goes it will be at the end of the season. In the summer we can look and see what is best for him."

Samaras has helped the club to the last 32 of the Uefa Cup and to fifth place in the Dutch league.

But they have already sold top scorer Klaas Jan Huntelaar to Dutch rivals Ajax in the transfer window and Heida has insisted that no more players will be leaving in January.

The 6ft 3in Samaras is under contract with Heerenveen until 2008 but Arsenal are said to be leading the way to sign him for a reported fee of £3.75m.

Heida added: "Everybody is for sale but that is not enough for Georgios Samaras. I think it would be much more.

"They have made no bid but scouts from Arsenal have watched games here in Holland but I don't know exactly what their interest is."

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