Report: Arsenal now in direct January talks with £63m striker; Arteta has already spoken to him

Arsenal are allegedly in direct talks with a highly-rated striker, and manager Mikel Arteta has already spoken with him about the prospect of a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal are targeting a forward in January

Following their all-important 2-1 win over Tottenham in the North London Derby on Wednesday evening, Arteta told TNT Sports that the Gunners are indeed in the market for a new forward, after both Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus were sidelined recently.

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates

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Arsenal have been trying to sign £51m star "for years" and "will" get him

Jesus' ACL rupture means we won't see him don an Arsenal jersey again this season, while Saka is expected to be out until March after undergoing hamstring surgery. Arteta is left with just one striker in Kai Havertz as a result of Jesus' absence, and the Spaniard must also cope without Saka's incredible output of goals and assists in the final third.

Arsenal's next five Premier League games

Date

Aston Villa (home)

January 18

Wolves (away)

January 25

Man City (home)

February 2

Leicester City (away)

February 15

West Ham (home)

February 22

Their shortage of quality attackers has prompted credible reports of Arsenal working hard to sign a new forward in January (Sky Sports), and this has now been confirmed by Arteta himself.

"Yes, for sure, because we lost two big players - Bukayo, who could be out for up to three months, and then Gabby, who will be out for a long, long, long time," said Arteta on Arsenal signing another attacker.

"We are going to try [in this window] for sure. We are actively looking. We will try. Let's see what we can get."

Gabriel-Jesus-Gabriel-Arsenal

This also comes amid concerns about their lack of cutting edge in the final third, with former Arsenal and Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor claiming they should've scored far more in the North London Derby.

"I still think they need to work much better on their finishing because they created so many chances today," said Adebayor.

"The game ended 2-1. It could've been 5-1, 7-1. For a team that wants to win the league, if they keep on playing like this. I don't think it's going to be possible."

Arsenal "in talks with" Benjamin Sesko after Mikel Arteta contact

According to Sam C, who works on The United Stand and That's Football TV with over 147,000 followers on X, Arteta's side are making serious moves for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko after missing out on a deal last summer.

Arsenal-Sesko-Leipzig

That time appears to be now, as Sam C claims that Arsenal have opened direct talks with Sesko, and Arteta is said to have personally spoken with the 21-year-old already.

They're looking to take him on loan with an option to buy before deadline day, but Leipzig want either a straight transfer fee or an obligation to buy inserted into any temporary deal.

Sesko bagged 18 goals in all competitions last season, and has carried on with a similar run of form this term - scoring 13 in 25 games this term. The ex-RB Salzburg sensation signed a new deal last summer, which is rumoured to include a £63 million release clause (BILD).