Arsenal find it hard to sign a striker as the transfer deadline move closer and Vlahivic signs for Juventus.
Arsenal struggles to sign a striker before transfer deadline as they seek to strengthen their forward line.
Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Dusan Vlahovic but was the striker has moved to Juventus.
Sources have told media that senior figures at Arsenal believe their interest was used as a smokescreen by Vlahovic’s camp to negotiate a transfer that provoked an angry reaction among Fiorentina fans the moment it became public given their longstanding rivalry with Juventus.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ideally wants to strengthen in attack this month with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ostracised after being stripped of the captaincy following a series of disciplinary issues, while Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both likely to leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of the season.
However, there are growing fears Arsenal will not be able to land any of their leading targets in January unless they make a major investment. Arteta travelled to the United States and met with owner Stan Kroenke earlier this week for talks on a variety of issues prior to the club’s winter training camp in Dubai.
Arsenal have been told they will have to pay Alexander Isak’s €90 million release clause if they want to sign the Real Sociedad striker now.
Sources have told media that Lille’s Jonathan David is another player under consideration but the Ligue 1 club want to wait until the summer to sell him. It is also understood that other Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in David — including Tottenham and Chelsea — and any late signal he could be available may spark a bidding war.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins are names that have been discussed but, again, Arsenal face an uphill task in convincing any of those three clubs to part company with a key player in the middle of the season.
Short-term alternatives include a loan move for Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic. One source has suggested Arsenal were previously offered the chance to sign former Chelsea striker Diego Costa, now a free agent after leaving Atletico Miniero, although this has been denied by the Gunners and any move for the 33-year-old would be a surprise given his volatile character would appear at odds with manager Mikel Arteta’s team-building approach.
Arsenal are also working on signing a midfielder. Talks have continued with Juventus over a loan move for Arthur Melo, while they also retain an interest in Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz among others, but the need for reinforcements up front is heightened by the stand-off with Aubameyang.
Source: ESPN
