Waiting until the transfer window closes…a desperate Arsenal with eyes only on Juventus
Arsenal, bereft of a frontline striker, plan to keep an eye on Nikola Vlasic (Juventus) until the winter transfer window closes.
Arsenal cruised to a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the 21st round of the 2023-24 English Premier League on Tuesday (Sept. 20). Gabriel and Leandro Trosad scored a goal apiece and Gabriel Martinelli scored twice. The five-goal win, including an opponent’s own goal, was only the second since Round 10 against Sheffield United.
But this is an Arsenal that is not satisfied. Center back Gabriel Jesus started, but was silent. It was frustrating to see the center back go silent, even with the goals coming from the second line. Jesus has three goals in 16 league games this season. Eddie Nketiah has the most with five goals. His flanker, Xherdan Shaqiri, has more with six.
They were knocked out of the FA Cup with a 0-2 defeat to Liverpool. Before that, they drew 1-1 with Liverpool on Boxing Day, lost 0-2 to West Ham and 1-2 to Fulham. It’s a repeat of last season, with the Gunners slipping from the top of the standings.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is desperate to add a central striker, but it’s not easy given the club’s need to balance its finances. The lack of big-name signings is not unrelated to this situation.
Rather, north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are focusing on a quick squad cleanup. Eric Dier has been loaned to Bayern Munich. Jedd Spence was sent to Genoa, while central defender Radu Dragucin was brought in and striker Timo Werner was loaned out. With two more signings still to come, it’s been compared to Arsenal’s quiet.
Still, someone has to come, and the Gunners are reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation of Blahovic, whom they have followed since his days at Fiorentina. British internet outlet HITC reported on the 23rd that “Arsenal are monitoring Blahovic’s contract situation. They are still interested in the player.
After a stint at Partizan in Serbia and a good time at Fiorentina in Italy, Vlahovic donned a Juventus shirt in the 2022 winter transfer window. It was a big deal: €82 million.
However, he was criticized for his inconsistency with Juventus and was rumored to be heading to Saudi Arabia, which was a huge overpayment for the player.
Of course, that changed when he started to show his quality. After 11 goals and three assists in 19 league games this season, as well as three goals in eight Europa League (UEL) games, Juventus have confirmed that they are pushing for a new contract. His existing contract runs until the summer of 2026. ‘Juventus want to keep Blahovic on board with a new contract,’ the outlet added.
The general consensus is that signing a central striker is a must if Arsenal are to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool for the title. That’s where Vlaahovic comes in.
“It’s not realistic (to sign a central striker) at the moment. My job is to develop the players and try to get better results,” Arteta said, admitting that he was looking in vain. Still, he’s taking a wait-and-see approach, as a change in attitude could lead to a signing.
