Arsenal have made a first bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic but have had their loan offer for the Serbia international hitman rejected by the Serie A giants.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has long been an admirer of Vlahovic and was even beaten to his signature by Juve when the 24-year-old departed Fiorentina in January 2021 for €83.5 million.
With Arsenal crying out for more firepower following their FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United, the Carabao Cup reverse against Newcastle and the disappointing Premier League draw with Brighton, Arteta is revisiting this previous target to give the Gunners an edge as the second half of the campaign looms.
Gabriel Jesus’ latest injury will only underscore how much the Gunners need another forward, particularly with Bukayo Sako still out.
Arsenal made an offer for Vlahovic on loan at the end of last week, yet it was rejected by Juventus, who want to sell the player outright or at least include an obligation to buy in any temporary deal that is struck.
As such, Juve, who look likely to land PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani, are willing to wait until later in the window to see if more interest arises from other clubs.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have not totally dismissed the prospect of moving for Vlahovic later in January.
FootballTransfers previously revealed that Juve offered the striker to the Emirates side for around €55m, with Arteta known to be a big fan of the player.