- 4 hours ago
Top Arteta target fuels Arsenal speculation with transfer meeting
With Arsenal desperate for a striker, one of their long-term targets just held a transfer meeting over his future as speculation continues to rage over a move this month.
Arsenal were already interested in signing a striker in January but big injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have intensified that interest.
It will thus come as good news to Mikel Arteta that Dusan Vlahovic - one of his long-standing transfer targets - has recently met with his agent.
Darko Ristic is the agent of Vlahovic and early this morning posted an image of himself and Vlahovic out to dinner.
Vlahovic meeting with agent in the middle of the January window when Juventus are close to signing Randal Kolo Muani from PSG is very interesting.
The speculation is that Motta wants a more target-man style striker, evidenced by Juve showing interest in the aforementioned Kolo Muani as well as Joshua Zirkzee.
Meanwhile Arsenal need a pure poacher in attack, someone with predatory instincts who can lead their line and score some goals.
That is Vlahovic perfectly summed up.
READ MORE: Four strikers Arsenal should sign to try and win the Premier League
Even before the Vlahovic news got out, Mikel Arteta had already confirmed that Arsenal will try to "see what we can get" in the January transfer window.
"Yes for sure because we lost two big players," said Arteta in an interview with Sky Sports, "Bukayo [Saka] who could be out for up to three months and then Gabby [Gabriel Jesus] who will be out for a long, long, long time."
The Basque coach went on: "We are going to try for sure. We are actively looking."
Can Arteta finally land Vlahovic?
The signing of Dusan Tadic would be particularly satisfying for Mikel Arteta. Not only would the Basque coach get a top class goalscorer, but he'd be signing someone he has been after for a few years.
Back in late 2021 when Vlahovic was destroying Serie A with Fiorentina (17 goals in 21 games before his eventual January move to Juventus), Mikel Arteta was desperate for Arsenal to sign the Serbian.
The Gunners were prepared to pay €80m to land their man, but unfortunately for them Vlahovic preferred to stay in Serie A at the time, so joined Juventus.
But now, three years hence, Vlahovic could finally be ready to make the move to North London and play for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.
