Arsenal sent Marcus Rashford transfer plea in Man United and Ruben Amorim dig

Emmanuel Petit believes Arsenal should monitor Marcus Rashford’s situation at Manchester United before Monday’s transfer deadline.

The Red Devils academy graduate has not featured for Ruben Amorim’s side since United’s 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on December 12. United head coach, Amorim, has implied that Rashford is not working hard enough and would rather play his goalkeeping coach than a player who is failing to give maximum effort.

Barcelona have been linked with a January move for the 27-year-old, who has scored seven goals across 24 appearances for United this season. However, our colleagues report that the Catalans are hesitant about forcing through a loan move for Rashford this month but would be interested in signing him permanently in the summer.

And former Gunners midfielder Petit has suggested that the forward could be an option for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta before the Janaury window closes at 11pm on Monday. Rashford can play as a striker where the north Londoners are currently short after Gabriel Jesus’ ACL injury.

“Marcus Rashford would be an interesting signing for Arsenal,” he said via DisCasino. “I’m very frustrated with Gabriel Martinelli’s performances at the moment, he’s very inconsistent and it’s annoying to watch. He’s been like a ghost on the pitch.

“Competition for a spot in the XI is important for Arsenal, look at Liverpool’s bench, the quality they have is amazing. I know Nico Williams has been linked, but I’m told he’ll never come to the Premier League if he leaves Athletic Bilbao, he’d only go to Barcelona. The Raheem Sterling gamble has not worked.”

And former Gunners midfielder Petit has suggested that the forward could be an option for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta before the Janaury window closes at 11pm on Monday. Rashford can play as a striker where the north Londoners are currently short after Gabriel Jesus’ ACL injury.

“Marcus Rashford would be an interesting signing for Arsenal,” he said via DisCasino. “I’m very frustrated with Gabriel Martinelli’s performances at the moment, he’s very inconsistent and it’s annoying to watch. He’s been like a ghost on the pitch.

“Competition for a spot in the XI is important for Arsenal, look at Liverpool’s bench, the quality they have is amazing. I know Nico Williams has been linked, but I’m told he’ll never come to the Premier League if he leaves Athletic Bilbao, he’d only go to Barcelona. The Raheem Sterling gamble has not worked.”

Benjamin Sesko to Arsenal transfer update issued as private RB Leipzig stance revealed

With Arsenal having just days left to source a replacement number nine after Gabriel Jesus’ devastating injury, the Gunners are facing another set back with one of their primary targets Benjamin Sesko reportedly set to stay in Germany.

The 21-year-old Slovenian international is looking like he’ll be playing the rest of the season at RB Leipzig with the club making it clear that Sesko is not for sale. Having already bagged 14 goals in all competitions this season, Sesko has made his name at the German side being a key player in the top four push this season making him an exciting prospect to help Arsenal chase down Liverpool in the title race.

This is not the first time he has been linked with making a move to The Emirates with rumours also floating in the summer. Although, the forward recently signed a long-term deal until 2029 seemingly keeping him in the Bundesliga – making a deal somewhat harder to finalise before the end of the month.

The setback puts Arteta in a difficult position with Aston Villa also rejecting the club’s official bid for England international Ollie Watkins. The Watkins deal is set to face another setback as it looks more and more likely that Villa’s second forward Jhon Duran will close in on a deal with Al Nassr – leaving Emery set on keeping at least one of his goal scoring threats.

Arsenal considering bold bid for €65m-rated striker this weekend after Ollie Watkins offer rejected

Arsenal are still keen to sign a new striker before the transfer window closes and could make a late move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Gunners submitted a bid of around £40m for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins earlier this week, which was instantly rejected, and he won’t be joining the London side this window.

Aston Villa are on the verge of selling Jhon Duran to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, who has already completed a medical ahead of the move, and Unai Emery has no intention of allowing his first-choice striker Watkins to leave too.

Unai Emery, meanwhile, has confirmed that Watkins isn’t pushing to leave Aston Villa. “Some players prefer to leave and some players accept to stay here and commit to Aston Villa and compete for our challenges. One of them is Ollie Watkins,” Emery said in a press conference.

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.

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.

Arsenal and Man Utd sensationally offered 69-goal striker after £50m transfer breaks down

Arsenal and Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Victor Boniface late in the January transfer window, with a report claiming that three other clubs in the Premier League have been told that he is willing to join them after his big move to Saudi Arabia broke down.

Boniface is one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga and helped Bayer Leverkusen win the title last season. The 24-year-old scored 14 goals and gave eight assists in 18 starts in the league and also found the back of the net five times and provided one assist in eight UEFA Europa League matches.

The Nigeria international, who has scored 69 goals and given 31 assists in 167 matches in all competitions so far in his career, was on his way to Al-Nassr this month, but that move has fallen through.

The Saudi Pro League club had agreed a deal in excess of £50million with Bayer, but they have now decided to abandon that move and are about to complete a transfer for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.

It is well-documented that Arsenal are looking for a new striker in the January transfer window.

With Gabriel Jesus injured and Kai Havertz not scoring as frequently as he did last season, Arsenal are keen on bringing in more firepower. The Gunners have already had a bid for Ollie Watkins turned down.

Man Utd too could do with signing a striker in the January transfer window. The Red Devils have scored just 28 goals in 23 Premier League matches this season.

Rasmus Hojlund has found the back of the net only twice in 18 Premier League games, while Joshua Zirkzee has scored just three goals in 23 league appearances.

Just in: Barcelona captain leaves training early ahead of Alaves clash

Barcelona will lock horns with Deportivo Alaves on Matchday 22 of the 2024/25 La Liga on Sunday noon, hoping to close the gap to leaders Real Madrid.

Having ended the month of January with a 2-2 draw against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League, the Blaugrana will be eager to start January on a winning note.

Minor concern with Raphinha

Ahead of the game though, Barcelona have a minor concern with regard to captain and key winger Raphinha.

The report does mention that it is nothing major and that the Brazilian international’s availability for the game against Alaves is not under threat at the moment.

In fact, it is stated he is in perfect condition to play on Sunday. However, the final call will be up to manager Hansi Flick to determine whether to have the winger in the squad list for Sunday’s match.

Key player for Flick

Raphinha has been in excellent form for Barcelona this season, becoming an integral member of the team under Hansi Flick, after not being greatly favoured by former boss Xavi Hernandez.

In 32 appearances, Raphinha has already racked up an amazing tally of 23 goals and 13 assists, forming a deadly attacking partnership with Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski.

It will be interesting to see whether Flick and Barcelona opt to field him against Alaves or decide to rest him and keep him fresh for the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Valencia next week.

23-year-old Feyenoord forward has sparked the interest of Barcelona – Report

One of the positions that FC Barcelona are looking to reinforce in the coming few months is that of the striker. Robert Lewandowski is playing at a very high level this season, being the top scorer in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, but he is already 36 years of age.

As a result, the Catalans are looking to bring in another young striker who will take on the mantle from the Pole going forward. For this purpose, they have already been linked with several notable names, including Viktor Gyökeres and Jonathan David.

Now, according to Fichajes, another player who is raising the interest of the Blaugranes is the Mexican striker Santiago Giménez, who is currently playing for the Dutch side Feyenoord.

The 23-year-old forward has been playing at a commendable level, and has particularly impressed with his goal-scoring ability and his decisive presence in the opposition box with his strength and mobility.

As things stand, Barcelona are among the clubs most interested in his signing, particularly because of their need to get a younger striker who can be their reference in attack for the long term.

However, getting him will not really be easy, as Feyenoord will be asking for a significant fee for his departure. The Dutch side will let him leave for around €50 million, which is quite a high sum, but not really outside the reach of the Catalans if they are committed to signing him.

Negotiations between the two sides have not yet begun, but Giménez is already a player on the Barcelona wishlist, and it will become clearer in the upcoming few months whether the Blaugranes will finally decide to pursue the Mexican or another player for this role.

Barcelona defender likely to return against Alaves; key midfielder’s comeback to happen vs Valencia

FC Barcelona will be back in action in La Liga on Sunday with a home against Deportivo Alaves, hoping to stay in touch with league leaders Real Madrid.

Hansi Flick’s side go into the game on the back of a 2-2 draw against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League and will be intent on getting back to winning ways.

Leading up to the game, the Blaugrana have been greeted with mixed news on the injury front, with one player set to return and another’s comeback still uncertain.

Inigo Martinez will be back, but no Dani Olmo

Indeed, according to journalist Adria Albets, Barcelona could welcome key defender Inigo Martinez back to the squad for Sunday’s clash against Deportivo Alaves.

However, star attacking midfielder Dani Olmo will still be unavailable, with his return likely to take place next Thursday in the Copa del Rey clash vs Valencia.

Martinez has missed Barcelona’s last five matches across all competitions after suffering a hamstring injury during the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid.

But as per the update, the 33-year-old, who is set to sign a new contract imminently, has been training very well in recent days and as such, he could be given the medical all-clear in time to face Alaves on Sunday afternoon.

Everything will depend on how the veteran Spaniard is feeling in tomorrow’s training session before a final call is made on his comeback.

Olmo’s case

As for Olmo, it was initially expected that the Spaniard’s return could take place against Atalanta or Alaves this week, but things have not progressed as planned.

Given his history of muscle problems, Barcelona do not intend to take any risks with the 26-year-old, although there are concerns that their marquee summer signing has already missed a large chunk of matches in his debut season.

Arsenal transfer news LIVE – Manfred Ugalde offer, Ollie Watkins update, Viktor Gyokeres latest

Arsenal fans will be eagerly hoping that their team signs a striker before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Mikel Arteta’s team are badly in need of reinforcements up front, with Gabriel Jesus, the club’s only natural No. 9, set to miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. One forward that the Gunners have shown interest in is Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, with the Villans turning down an offer.

Another Villa forward, Jhon Duran, has also emerged as a potential target for Arsenal, as the West Midlands club reportedly considers selling him. Al Nassr are currently in pole position to secure his signature, but the landscape could shift dramatically if the Gunners decide to step up their interest.

Newcastle stance on new Alexander Isak contract assessed as Arsenal eye 17-goal superstar

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak remains of serious interest to Arsenal but even a dramatic mega-money bid wouldn’t be enough to sign him before the transfer window closes.

The Swedish international has been on fire for the Magpies this season, scoring a fantastic 17 goals in 21 Premier League appearances so far, and many top clubs are keeping close tabs on his situation.

Isak is considered a dream target for Arsenal and the London side are interested in signing a new striker this month, as evidenced by their bid for Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins, which was swiftly rejected.

Mikel Arteta wants to bring in a new front man to cover for Gabriel Jesus who is sidelined with an injury, but sources are adamant that Isak will be impossible to sign in the coming days.

The 25-year-old is under contract at St James’ Park until 2028 so Newcastle are in a very strong position and those close to the club are optimistic about keeping him for the long-term beyond 2025.

There is also an expectation that Newcastle will sit down with Isak towards the end of the season to try and tie him down to a longer-term deal with a salary increase. At that point, Eddie Howe’s side may know whether they’ve qualified for Champions League football, which will naturally strengthen their position.

Isak is untouchable for now and even if he doesn’t pen a contract extension it would take a British record fee to sign him in the summer.

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal absence for Man City clash and provides David Raya update

Mikel Arteta was unable to confirm whether David Raya would be fit to play for Arsenal against Manchester City at the weekend. With a second player also confirmed to be missing for the match having not yet trained.

Arteta faced the media in the build-up to a pivotal Premier League clash with Manchester City with the chance to open a nine-point gap on the champions while hoping to close in on Liverpool, who travel to Bournemouth.

Despite the January transfer window concluding in the coming days, the focus for many fans outside of who might sign was on the latest regarding David Raya. The Spain international missed the match with Girona in midweek despite travelling with the squad for the match.

Arteta said before and after the game that he couldn’t play and was “not fit” but would provide little clarity on what the issue was nor whether he would make the match with Man City this weekend. He was again asked for further clarification in the pre-match presser.

Arsenal take on Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium at 16:30 GMT. Build-up and match coverage will be available in our  matchday blog from four hours before kick-off.