Arsenal line up ‘new winter offer’ for Mikel Arteta’s £69m-rated ‘object of desire’

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta wants the Gunners board to commit funds to a winter bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports.

The Gunners were heavily linked to Vlahovic in January 2022 as they prepared for Alexandre Lacazette’s departure, before Arteta brought in Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City last summer.

Jesus, who has been suffering from injury during his time at Arsenal, scored his first goal of the season in a 3-1 victory over Manchester United before the international break.

Eddie Nketiah has done a good job of covering in the Brazilian’s absence with the former England under-21 international scoring twice in four Premier League matches this term.

But there are now rumours that Arsenal could look to reignite interest in Juventus striker Vlahovic in January as they look to challenge Man City for the Premier League title.

Spanish publication Fichajes claims that Arsenal are preparing a ‘new winter offer’ for the Serbia international with Vlahovic an ‘object of desire’ for Gunners boss Arteta.

The report adds that Vlahovic ‘could change his scene in the middle of the season’, just like he did when he swapped Fiorentina for Juve in January 2022, and the Serie A giants are willing to ‘listen to Arsenal’s financial proposal’.

But Arsenal ‘will not reach’ the €80m (£69m) that Juventus paid Fiorentina for the Serbian but he could be ‘one of the biggest bombshells’ of the January transfer market.

The 23-year-old arrived in Turin having scored 41 goals in his last 64 appearances for Fiorentina but Vlahovic hasn’t quite hit those heights in his one-and-a-half seasons at Juventus.Italian pundit Marcello Chirico said over the summer that Vlahovic’s move to Juventus has been a “huge flop” but thinks there is a chance he could do well if he moves on.

Chirico told TuttoMercatoWeb in July: “For me, Vlahovic was a huge flop, he’s 23, yes, but if he’s not strong he’s not strong. Maybe he’ll prove it outside, but I would take Lukaku.

“Vlahovic was certainly conditioned by Allegri’s play, but he also put his own into it. Maybe he explodes in another club. Juve, this Allegri one, is not cut out for him.”

Arsenal spent big on Declan Rice – who scored in the Gunners’ 3-1 win over Man Utd – in the summer transfer window and the former West Ham man has revealed how Arteta welcomed him into the fold.

“My first time I was there, on the Sunday, the lads weren’t in and I came out of the physio room and Arteta has little things he does,” Rice said.

“He put a sticker on me saying ‘hello, I’m the new person!’. He walked in and he just put it on my chest.

“I’ve got to wear as the gaffer has put it on me! The 18s and 21s are up in the canteen and I’m like Will off The Inbetweeners, I’m the new boy, I’m walking through like that!”


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