Arsenal are in pole position to sign Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic this month as Mikel Arteta attempts to revamp his striking options, according to The Athletic.
The Gunners boss is building an exciting young team at the Emirates Stadium but overhauling the forward line is becoming a top priority after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was frozen out of the squad and stripped of the captaincy last month. The Gabon hitman is now expected to leave Arsenal as soon as a suitable buyer can be found.
Alexandre Lacazette has enjoyed a fine run in the starting eleven in recent weeks but the Frenchman is out of contract in the summer and is no closer to signing an extension. Eddie Nketiah is also expected to leave Arsenal after rejecting fresh terms with his current deal also due to run out in July.
Therefore, it’s conceivable that Arsenal will lose their three main striking options over the coming months so it’s no surprise to hear that Arteta is in the market for reinforcements.
Vlahovic has emerged as a prime target with Gazzetta dello Sport claiming this week that Arsenal have submitted a player-plus-cash offer worth a total of £58.5m that would involve Lucas Torreira joining Fiorentina on a permanent basis as part of the deal.
David Ornstein has now provided an update and confirmed that Arsenal are in pole position to sign Vlahovic if the striker leaves Fiorentina this month. The Athletic journalist says the Gunners are pushing to get a deal done and the north Londoners ‘best placed’ ahead of the likes of Newcastle and Tottenham when it comes to agreeing a fee and contract.
Time to cash-in
Vlahovic’s contract expires in June 2023 and he’s made it clear he won’t sign an extension so now would be the best time for Fiorentina to cash in on the 6ft 3in hitman before his value drops in the summer window.
The Serie A club are closing in on a deal to sign Krzysztof Piatek from Hertha Berlin and the report says they are also eyeing New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos so it appears they’re preparing for life without Vlahovic.
The 21-year-old would be an excellent addition to the Arsenal squad as he’s one of the hottest young talents in Europe having scored 18 goals in 22 games in all competitions so far this season.
However, there is still a long way to go before a deal is agreed as Ornstein suggests that Arsenal may not be the strikers first choice destination as he’d prefer a move to Juventus, so it remains to be seen whether Arteta can lure Vlahovic to the Emirates.
The Spanish coach has alternative targets in mind in-case the Serbian international snubs a move as Ornstein claims Arsenal are also showing a keen interest in Alexander Isak and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
We’ll have to wait and see how things play out but it’s clear there will be a lot of change in the striking department at Arsenal over the coming months so it will be interesting to see who they manage to bring in.
