Arsenal are considering including under-performing forward Gabriel Jesus in a swap deal for confirmed striker target Dusan Vlahovic, per reports.
Jesus, 27, has struggled for consistent minutes this season and is yet to score a single Premier League goal in 13 appearances for the Gunners so far.
As previously revealed, Mikel Arteta is keen to bring in a new world-class striker to compete with Kai Havertz for a starting spot and Vlahovic is on Arsenal’s shortlist.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes,Arsenal could ‘offer’ Jesus as a makeweight in a deal for Juventus striker Vlahovic in January or next summer.
The report suggests that the fact Vlahovic, who is under contract until 2026, is yet to sign a new deal with Juventus, could mean they’re open to considering his sale.
Arsenal’s Premier League title charge could depend on whether they add more goal threat to their side this winter. They’ve scored less than Liverpool and Chelsea respectively and were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton this past weekend.
Vlahovic, meanwhile, has scored 12 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions this season and his form has caught the attention of several top sides.
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Vlahovic is a concrete target for Arsenal – sources
As we exclusively revealed last week, contract negotiations between Vlahovic and Juventus are currently at a standstill, making a January switch to the Premier League possible.
TEAMtalk understands that Juventus have lowered the Serbian international’s price tag to around €50million (£41.3m / $52.5m) as a result – a bargain for a player of his quality. Including Jesus in the deal could bring the fee down significantly, too.
Arsenal are big admirers of Vlahovic but they could face competition from Chelsea, who are looking to bring in another forward to compete with Nicolas Jackson.
Sources say that Chelsea have made contact with Juventus over a potential move for Vlahovic in recent days, while Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are also interested in him.
No club is at an advanced stage in negotiations for Vlahovic yet, but he is certainly a name to keep an eye out for in January and next summer.
Arsenal round-up: Shock Dewsbury-Hall link / Rashford swoop stance
Meanwhile, a surprise report has named Arsenal as suitors for out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who could be sold for the right price in January.
He was the ‘main man’ under Enzo Maresca at Leicester City last term, notching 12 goals and 14 assists to help the Foxes gain immediate promotion back to the top flight. He then joined Maresca at Stamford Bridge in a £30million move.
It’s claimed that Arsenal are considered ‘favourites’ to sign Dewsbury-Hall in January as there is already an open line of communication between them and Chelsea after Raheem Sterling headed to the Emirates on loan in August.
TEAMtalk sources suggest this move is highly unlikely, however, as Dewsbury-Hall is well respected by his Chelsea teammates, isn’t pushing for an exit and Arsenal have made no contact over a transfer to date.
In other news, Arsenal have been linked with a swoop for Man Utd forward Marcus Rashford, who has revealed he is ready to take on a new challenge elsewhere.
However, journalist Charles Watts has suggested the Gunners are unlikely to move for the England international.
“He always seems to be part of the conversation, certainly amongst fans anyway, and that might be the case again as we head towards January given what’s going on with him at Manchester United at the moment,” Watts said.
“Do I think he could be an opportunity for Arsenal? I don’t think so to be honest. I’m just not sure he’s what they need.”
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