Arsenal have reportedly decided to make an opportunistic move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer as Mikel Arteta looks to reinforce in attack.
The Gunners were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Manchester United on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford and looked devoid of attacking ideas, failing to score in the first half.
Some of the Londoners' struggles can be attributed to the fact key stars such as Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz have missed numerous games through injury, though the latter has often been criticised for his performances this campaign.
The Gunners have scored 52 goals in the Premier League this season, 17 fewer than league-leaders Liverpool have managed in 2024-25.
However, Tutto Juve report that Arsenal are ready to move for Vlahovic in the summer, with a fee of £25m mooted due to the fact he will have just a year left on his contract in the summer.
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Will Vlahovic bring Arsenal the title?
Vlahovic has long been linked with a move to the Emirates, and the 25-year-old has a consistent track record of finding the back of the net, scoring 42 goals in 96 Serie A appearances for Juve.
It should be noted that the striker has only played 6,770 minutes in the league for his current club, and that equates to just 75.2 full 90-minute matches.
Havertz has scored nine goals for Arsenal this season in the top flight in 21 games, and while he has scored the same number of league goals in 2024-25 as Vlahovic in the same number of appearances, the Juve forward has played around 400 minutes fewer.
Vlahovic would perhaps be less adept than Havertz at dropping between midfield lines, but he would be able to act as a genuine focal point for Saka and Martin Odegaard.
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Should questions be asked of Arteta?
If Vlahovic was to sign for the Gunners in the summer, he would almost certainly relegate Havertz to the substitutes' bench, but perhaps questions should be asked as to why Havertz was signed in the first place.
Originally signed to play in midfield, the German has at times excelled as a combative forward up front, but he has struggled with inconsistencies in attack.
Strikers such as Alexander Isak have been linked with a move to the Emirates, but there is an argument that Arteta should prioritise finding ways of adding creativity to the XI considering they have created just the ninth most xG (42.2).
If the Gunners boss does land Vlahovic, Isak or other targets, then he will come under immense pressure to deliver success next season in the form of silverware.
Lewis Nolan
