Despite being snubbed this time last year, Arsenal have re-ignited their interest in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic ahead of the January transfer window. Following Gabriel Jesus' injury at the World Cup, the Gunners may be forced to add another striker to Mikel Arteta's side next month and the Serbian has been tipped to be that man.
Jesus looks set to be out until February at the earliest after undergoing surgery on his right knee after suffering the injury at the World Cup with Brazil. Reports over the past week have claimed that the club have contacted Vlahovic's representatives over a possible deal next month, with following reports in Italy also suggesting Arteta's side are one of many clubs to be monitoring the striker's situation at the Turin-based side.
Vlahovic, 22, only joined the Old Lady last January in a deal worth £62million but faces the possibility of cutting his time short due to the Serie A giants' financial issues. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have all been credited with interest, but a fresh report from Corrierre dello Sport has claimed Manchester United have entered the race for his signature.
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Erik ten Hag's side are said to be keen on adding a new No.9 next month following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. United have also locked horns with the Gunners for PSV star Cody Gakpo, with Ten Hag looking to flex his Eredivisie contacts to secure the Netherlands forward.
It remains unclear how much Vlahovic would cost any potential suitors but it could reach the region of the fee they paid for him last year. Interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs makes Edu's task of luring the forward to north London that extra bit harder.
As portrayed time and time again, the financial pull that teams like Man United and PSG can place on the table for the selling club and players could prove too much for Arsenal to compete with. However, their position in the table and upwards trajectory that Arteta's side have demonstrated may be enough to convince Vlahovic.
Should they miss out, there is still time remaining until the window opens and it's likely that other options are being discussed. However, with Jesus playing such a starring role in the Gunners' first half of the season, it's hard to imagine that they'll be able to compete with Manchester City for the title with only one fit striker to choose from.
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