Despite the added difficulties of the January window, Mikel Arteta will know that the right deal on a striker could propel Arsenal closer to the top of the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus has impressed Gunners fans in recent weeks with his upturn in form, but Arsenal’s draw with Brighton on Saturday was a reminder of the lack of a clinical edge in the squad.
Performances like these have done nothing to silence the endless links between Arsenal and Europe’s top strikers, with Paul Merson urging Arsenal to sign Alexander Isak most recently.
Other striking options continue to be mentioned as Arsenal had a bid rejected for Igor Jesus as a potentially cheaper option to the likes of Isak.
However, in what would be a brutal blow for the Arsenal manager, reports are suggesting that two of the Gunners’ top striker targets could be set to be involved in a seismic swap deal.
Randal Kolo Muani and Dusan Vlahovic in rumoured swap deal
Elite strikers are rarely available from Europe’s top clubs but PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic look set to be on the move in January.
According to Calciomercato, the two European giants could be set to bypass any interest from the likes of Arsenal and attempt a direct swap deal for their unwanted stars.
The report said: There has been a suggestion that Juventus could look to involve the under-fire Vlahovic in negotiations with PSG [for Kolo Muani].
“Vlahovic’ who is currently the highest earner in Serie A, has not found consistent form under Thiago Motta and is also 18 months away from the expiry of his Juventus contract.
“If Juve are going to sell Vlahovic, then they would ideally like to do so in one of the next two transfer windows in order to maximise his value on the market.”
Arsenal have targetted Vlahovic for the January window whilst the Gunners were offered Kolo Muani as a possible striking option too. However, this latest update suggests that Stan Kroenke is set to miss out on both in January, leaving Arsenal running out of options for a new striker.
Arsenal’s January striker targets are slipping away
A striker would clearly benefit the Arsenal squad, but the news of Kolo Muani and Vlahovic reportedly being unavailable to Arsenal means the list of potential targets is getting shorter.
Eddie Howe seemingly ruled out selling Isak when asked to comment on the potential rumours, whilst Matheus Cunha is set to stay at Wolves despite interest from the Gunners.
Even links to wider forwards seem to be falling short as Brentford are not willing to sell Bryan Mbuemo amid interest from Arteta.
Clearly, if Arsenal are to sign a striker in January then more urgency is required to prevent even more targets from drifting past them. The reported bid for Igor Jesus is certainly a positive step but it remains to be seen whether the club are able to finalise his or any other striker’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium.
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