Arsenal submit stunning €70m Dusan Vlahovic transfer offer

Arsenal have ramped up their hunt for a striker this season by submitting an offer worth €70m for Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window.

The centre-forward situation in north London is no closer to being resolved other than it being one day closer to everyone’s contracts expiring.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is currently away with Gabon in Cameroon as he prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations, and his involvement in the tournament complicates the small matter of his future with his already high salary and worrying form an issue as it is.

Few clubs in Europe have the financial clout to sign the 32-year-old, while his age won’t help entice sides that he is the right player for them either.

Arsenal submit stunning €70m Dusan Vlahovic transfer offer as Fiorentina consider accepting permanent bid from Mikel Arteta’s side this January

As for the man currently leading the line majesticallyw, Lacazette will most likely finalise a pre-contract agreement somewhere in Europe and then see out the season with Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah looks fairly certain of doing likewise.

And, meanwhile, Folarin Balogun will move on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough leading the chase.

Should a few pieces fall into place then a rather large gap opens up in the No. 9 slot for Mikel Arteta, and that has prompted heavy speculation of a move for Dusan Vlahovic.

Interest has been mooted for around a year, although the extent of their scouting isn’t fully know. What is known, however, is that he’s on the radar alongside other options and the rumour mill has had him heavily linked with a north London switch.

Any deal will cost a substantial amount with Fiorentina digging their heels in over his valuation despite the 21-year-old only having 18 months left on his contract. Wanting around €70m or so, as per Gazzetta dello Sport, Arsenal have offered it.

Offering €55m, the remaining amount will include Lucas Torreira’s permanent sale for €15m, having hugely impressed while on loan and largely expected to be signed full-time at the conclusion of the season.

The deal is making Fiorentina ‘think’, having initially wanted to keep hold of him for the season to secure European football, sentiments that are echoed by the Serbian.

"“Only God knows what will happen in the next period,” Vlahovic said of his future. “My wish is to bring Fiorentina to Europe, because we have not been in Europe for a long time. I don’t know what can happen overnight. We’ll see.”"

Fabrizio Romano weighed in on the potential move, insisting that the striker’s situation remained unaltered. That being that Vlahovic wants to see the season out and is more likely to have interest in a move elsewhere in Europe. Juventus and Atletico Madrid are said to be keen.

Is there reason to be optimistic about this, though? It’s a serious bid from Arsenal and meets I Viola’s demands. Let’s take a look.

Continued on next page…

Unlikely Arsenal Have Submitted Vlahovic Offer – Yet

Arsenal will not beat around the bush when it comes to their new centre-forward. Arteta has been backed financially by the club and having spent £45m on a midfielder, £30m on a goalkeeper and £50m on a central defender, there reason to believe he’ll be backed again.

He is also yet to sign a forward player since joining, and with excellent options in wide areas already and a heavily trimmed wage bill, it’s far from out of the realms of possibility that Arsenal will pay big for the man up top.

Where there is reason to be sceptical of this supposed offer is the timing of it. Arsenal may well go in with a deal just shy of £60m to sign the striker they want, but it would be a huge risk to pay the money now when the situation with Aubameyang and Nketiah is still not decided.

Those two would need moving on, or at least Aubameyang, before such large amounts of cash are parted with, and it would also weaken their position to move the former captain on with potential buyers knowing the desperation the Gunners will have to sell him by that point.

With Ainsley Maitland-Niles the subject of bids from Roma, the midfield situation surely take precedence, too.

There is also the main issue at play which is convincing the player to move to the Premier League for a club who aren’t in European competition. Champions League sides have shown their interest in Vlahovic and players in Serie A tend often to stay in the division, which opens the door for the likes of Inter and Juventus.

The Athletic stated that Vlahovic will need ‘a lot of convincing’ to make the move’ – and that would be in the summer, not even the winter.

Is he the man Arsenal want, as well? Of the options mooted, the Serbian doesn’t appear to be as alluring to the Gunners as other names like Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jonathan David, and he is currently outperforming all his underlying metrics which begs a question of sustainability.

Verdict: Arsenal could be holding an interest but to be submitting that kind of offer already without moving on Aubameyang or Nketiah would be an irresponsible strategy unless there is information on the two strikers fans aren’t privy to.

Of the strikers on the wishlist, other options feel more likely with it clear from many sources that Vlahovic isn’t keen on moving to Arsenal.