SETTABLOID

Arsenal are the only club to have shown concrete interest in signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this month, with Mikel Arteta the driving force behind a potential deal.

Juventus are on the verge of securing an agreement to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muano on loan, who is already training with the Turin-based club.

Once that deal is fully ratified,  Juventus will consider selling Vlahovic for the right price, but they will demand a big fee.

The Italian side are adamant it will take around €65million (£55m / $67.3m) to sign Vlahovic this month. As things stand, the only team to have taken concrete steps for the 24-year-old Serbian international is Arsenal.

Sources close to the situation say Vlahovic is ‘Arteta’s favourite’ and he has identified him as a top target to strengthen the attack, in the wake of the serious injury to Gabriel Jesus.

However, as we have previously reported, Arsenal would like a significant discount from Juventus to consider a permanent transfer this month, similar to what happened with Liverpool and Federico Chiesa.

Vlahovic, for his part, is only under contract until 2026 and is open to taking on a new challenge elsewhere, hence why Arsenal are very attentive to the situation.

Juventus are unwilling to budge on their valuation of Vlahovic, at least until Kolo Muani’s arrival in Turin is fully confirmed. As mentioned, the PSG star is already training with Juventus and manager Thiago Motta has been very impressed so far.

That is why Arsenal is being patient with Vlahovic. They are monitoring the situation closely and could make a move late in this month’s transfer window, to convince Juventus to let him go for a lower price.

This won’t be easy, however, as apart from Kolo Muani Juventus have no real striker alternatives. Nico Gonzalez has played in that position this season but has generally struggled in that role, as he’s usually a winger.

Arsenal could be boosted by the return of two key players as they prepare to face Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. The Gunners sit third in the Champions League table on 13 points from their opening six fixtures and have put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the last 16.

The top eight from the 36-team league phase gain automatic qualification into the knockout phase and the Gunners are part of that elusive group right now. A win against Ukrainian side Shakhtar could guarantee a place in the last 16 should results go their way across matchday seven this midweek.

And Arteta, who has seen his Arsenal squad shredded in recent times due to injuries, has been handed a welcome boost ahead of his side’s clash with Shakhtar. Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori were both spotted in training in Tuesday as both players bid to return to action in the near future.

Nwaneri has been out since picking up an injury in the 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday, January 4, missing the last four matches across all competitions. As for Calafiori, he been out for the last couple of weeks with a muscle problem, having not featured against Manchester United, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

While it’s unknown whether Nwaneri and Calafiori are going to be fit to face Shakhtar, the fact they are both back in training is no doubt a huge boost for the Gunners.

They have some important fixtures coming up, none more so than the next couple in the Premier League, including the clash with Manchester City on Sunday, February 2.

Arsenal are yet to make new additions to their squad and a forward is thought to be top of the list following the ACL injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian left Arsenal short in the final third and as a result a host of names for attack including Nico Williams, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen and Liam Delap have been linked with a move.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side dropped points in their fight for the Premier League title, drawing 2-2 to Aston Villa at home. Their focus will now turn to the Champions League when they host Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday (8pm kick-off).

The Gunners are third in the table and in a healthy position to progress to the knockout stage of the competition. While our main focus here will be on bringing you all the transfer news and rumours, we will also bring you all the latest Arsenal news, views and transfer gossip.

Arsenal are coming under ever-increasing pressure from supporters to sign a forward in the final fortnight of the winter transfer window.

The Gunners have barely done any business this month, with two outgoings being their only moves. Josh Robinson joined Wigan Athletic permanently on New Year’s Day – but has yet to debut for the Latics – while Marquinhos has returned to Brazil on loan with Cruzeiro for the whole of this year after spending the previous 12 months at Fluminense.

Incomings do not appear imminent despite the club’s mounting injury issues in defence and forward areas over recent weeks and months.

Sesko alternative

The Gunners reportedly have Igor Jesus on their radar as they assess striker options this month.

Benjamin Sesko and Evan Ferguson as other centre-forwards of interest to Arsenal.

The journalist has previously suggested that Igor Jesus may move this winter. Brazilian outlet UOL has previously credited Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers with interest in the 23-year-old, but the outlet suggests they would have to pay Botafogo at least around £20million.

Osimhen promise

Victor Osimhen has reputedly made an explicit promise to potential suitors that he would be open to a club convincing him to leave Galatasaray this winter. Turkish journalist Kagan Dursun, via Haber Sari Kirmiz i, claims Manchester United have verbally offered Napoli around £60million, but could not convince the striker after coming to Istanbul despite an exit clause in his loan deal this month.

Arsenal have had a quiet winter transfer window, but there could be some activity before the February 3 deadline.

Manager Mikel Arteta recently said that the club are short in the attacking department after the 2-2 Premier League draw against Aston Villa.

The hierarchy must back the Spaniard with a mid-season spending spree, and TV Play claim Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram is on Arsenal’s radar.

The source mention the Gunners have a ‘big dream’ of landing the versatile striker, and they are ‘ready to do something crazy’ to secure his signature.

A package of around £59 million could test the Nerazzurri’s resolve, but the Serie A champions may not sanction his departure until the summer.

Arsenal unlikely to pursue deal for Thuram

The 27-year-old joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach last term.

He has been a revelation for the Serie A holders with 49 goal contributions from just 72 appearances in all competitions.

The Frenchman has notched up 14 goals and six assists from 26 games this season and has been leading their title defence.

With his importance in the squad, it is unlikely that the Nerazzurri will entertain an exit in the current transfer window.

We also don’t see the Gunners making a huge outlay on Thuram, who will turn 28 in August.

Several Serie A-based forwards have struggled with the transition to the Premier League.

With the higher intensity and physicality of the English top-flight, Thuram may find it challenging to make an instant impact.

Arsenal may also want a resale value for the future, and the hierarchy are unlikely to spend £59m on his services this winter.

Arsenal’s record in the January transfer window is about as consistent as Tottenham’s form at the moment. One year is good the other non-existent, and this has put fans in a worrisome mindset when it comes to this winter.

Arsenal have one player whose name simply will not go away – Benjamin Sesko, the striker is still of keen interest to the club but so far that has not progressed and German media supports this with claims that talks have not been initiated between the clubs whatsoever.

Arsenal wanted Sesko in the summer but the situation, early in the window, simply did not allow for a move to materialise. The Gunners have missed out on key targets before like Lisandro Martinez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Mason Mount.

However, the club have shown the ability to pivot to other options when their primary target has not been gettable. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz were all brought in after the initial player moved elsewhere with varying levels of success.

However, with Sesko, this was not the case. This is not the first time this has happened either, with the summer of 2022 seeing the club make a move for Raphinha.

Eventually the Brazilian international would instead move to Barcelona where he has gone on to reach very high levels. His goal contributions this season have already breached the 30-figure with no sign of that slowing.

There remains just under a fortnight left of the January transfer window and so far Arsenal have neither signed a player nor made much headway on specific targets. Mikel Arteta was asked after the draw with Aston Villa whether this again raised the pressure to sign players.

This will not bring as much hope to supporters as some of his previous commitments to transfers will. The area that of course is of greatest need would be a forward, either in the wide areas but what fans would most desperately call for is a striker.

RB Leipzig do not want to sell this winter and suggestions of talks about a loan earlier in the window are wide of the mark. That does not mean that this reality may emerge at some stage, but so far suggestions of talks between clubs advancing are frustratingly not the case as of yet.

Despite the reluctance to sell, every player has their price. As is the case in the January transfer window, clubs usually have to pay over the odds for players and Arsenal will be more than aware of this being the case.