According to reports, Arsenal are ‘considering a bold bid’ to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic after missing out on Ollie Watkins.
The Gunners are desperate to sign a new striker before the January transfer window closes on Monday night.
Arsenal are short in this area as Gabriel Jesus’s injury has left head coach Mikel Arteta with Kai Havertz as his only centre-forward option.
RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko has consistenly been mooted as Arsenal’s preferred target, but they made a shock bid to sign England international Watkins earlier this week.
Arsenal submitted a £60m offer shortly before Aston Villa’s game against Celtic on Wednesday night and this was immediately rejected by Unai Emery’s side.
Their chances of signing Watkins were dealt a further blow when it was revealed that Jhon Duran is leaving Aston Villa to join Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
This all but ended Arsenal’s hopes of landing Watkins and Villa boss Unai Emery confirmed on Friday that he is staying.
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He said: “Yes, he is happy to stay,” he said, when asked if Watkins had expressed his desire to remain at Villa Park.
“You can ask him, but we asked him how he is feeling every day, every year he has been here with Aston Villa, with us and without us.”
It has also been reported by Caught Offside that the Gunners have ‘quickly pivoted’ to their ‘new striker priority’.
‘The Gunners have quickly pivoted away from Watkins despite reports to the contrary and, in fact, are now going to push for either Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig or Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus.
‘Mikel Arteta’s priority has always been Sesko, and Leipzig’s elimination from the Champions League could yet facilitate the player’s exit, even if the Bundesliga outfit is absolutely not open to reducing his price.’
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A new report from journalist Rudy Galetti from our pals at TEAMtalk claims Arsenal are ‘consdering a bold bid’ to sign Vlahovic before Monday’s deadline.
There is said to be one major hurdle in the way of this deal, while the report reveals Sesko’s stance on a move this month.
‘Mikel Arteta’s priority ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline is to sign a new striker to cover for Gabriel Jesus, who is sidelined with an injury.
‘Sources state that Juventus striker Vlahovic is among Arsenal’s top targets. A final decision on whether to bid hasn’t been made, but the Gunners are considering a bid over the weekend.
‘The 25-year-old is open to a new challenge in the Premier League. He has scored seven goals in 18 Serie A appearances this season and has big admirers at the Emirates.
‘A deal for Vlahovic won’t be straightforward, however. As we have previously reported, Juventus would need to sign another striker before sanctioning his exit.
‘The Turin-based club are now running out of time to sign a new centre-forward, even though they have already signed one new one – Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain.
‘In the event that Juventus do sign another new forward, sources suggest that they could consider selling Vlahovic for slightly less than his initial €65m (£54.4m, $67.4m) price tag.
‘RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko remains high on Arsenal’s shortlist but the German side are very reluctant to allow him to leave mid-season.’
