Arsenal is in the running for a top-four finish in the English Premier League and return to the UEFA Champions League next season.
There’s still much work to be done for Mikel Arteta and his men before they can celebrate rubbing shoulders with Europe’s elite. The Londoners are involved in a battle with five other teams to fill the fourth spot in the table, including Man Utd and Tottenham.
Arteta has his squad in a great place at present. They are grinding out wins, picking up points and keeping themselves within touching distance of the prize places. Arsenal boasts a strong defence, but problems persist at the other end of the park, where they have scored just 33 goals in 21 games. That’s less than Leicester City, who can be found down in midtable.
With the clock ticking down to the end of the January transfer window, pressure is mounting on the Gunners to fit a striker good enough to fire the club into the Champions League. But which name fits the bill? Fans have made their predictions, and major bookmakers have been accepting bets on certain players joining Arsenal this winter.
If betting on any transfer specials this month, you should take advantage of sign up offers when thinking about Arsenal’s odds. Let’s look at some of the names being linked with a move.
Transfer target prefers Juventus
Much of the transfer talk surrounding Arsenal in January focussed on a bid for Serie A striker Dusan Vlahovic who has caught the eye with some remarkable performances for Fiorentina in Italy. There were certainly red top newspapers and online gossip columns that suggested that was a done deal, but those reports have since proven to be well off the mark.
The latest breaking news regarding that deal is that Vlahovic is Juventus bound after informing his agents that he’d rather remain in Italy and play for Juve than move abroad to sign for Arsenal. That will be a blow for the recruitment team at the Emirates Stadium, but a backup plan will be in place. Arsenal won’t be left scrambling around for a late notice replacement.
Names in the frame
If those reports are to be believed and Vlahovic will be signing on Italy’s most successful club, who will the Gunners set their aim on now? The latest rumours make for interesting reading and although most names can be taken with a pinch of salt, passed off as newspaper talk, one or two players seem to be lasting the test of time.
It is believed the club will strengthen their attacking options with an 18-month loan deal for Brazilian Arthur Melo, who is currently under contract at Juventus but looks to be operating on borrowed time there. He has been told he can leave the club in January as long as Juventus are able to find a replacement, and they may see the previously mentioned Vlahovic as the perfect deal.
Two names that will capture the attention of fans and appear to be more than rumour is Real Sociedad player Alexander Isak and Luka Jovic of Real Madrid. Both appear to be on the radar, and both have the quality and experience to make a difference to Arsenal’s chances of landing a top-four finish this season.
It appears Arteta is looking for one attacker and a right-back before the window slams shut, meaning a sensational, big-money double swoop for those two strikers is unlikely. Still, the boss is determined to get at least two new players through the door.
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