Arsenal intensively pursuing €100m long-standing target, as star's contract negotiations approach: report

Arsenal appears to be committed to signing a superstar player, after almost three years of speculation and interest in the individual.

The Gunners slumped to their first loss of the season and only the second in 2024, when William Saliba was sent off away to Bournemouth on Saturday. Manager Mikel Arteta was questioned for his lack of attacking intent, even with 11 men, as a very conservative Arsenal side limped to defeat.

But Arteta might be about to address that in a big way – with a forward of real intent perhaps available.

Arsenal could pay €100 million this January… for a player who's once rejected them

Transfer links have been quiet for the Gunners since the window shut, with only really Florian Wirtz linked as a speculative option in attack.

But with Dusan Vlahovic's Juventus contract winding up in 2026, Arteta and his sporting director, Edu Gaspar have one eye on the Serbian hitman and his future in Turin.

That's according to SportMediaSet, who say that Arsenal “seem to be serious” about signing the forward and “are waiting to see how the negotiations for the renewal with Juve will end”.

Arsenal were seriously linked with Vlahovic in January 2022 as an option to replace the outgoing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. FourFourTwo understands that the move came close to happening, only for the player to decide on staying in Serie A when he completed a move from Fiorentina.

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Arsenal were linked earlier this month with another raid for Vlahovic, though Spanish outlet Fichajes states that only a price of €100m will be enough to convince the Old Lady to part company.

In FourFourTwo's opinion, however, it's still early days to expect Arsenal to return to the negotiating table for Vlahovic. €100m is an extravagant price for a player not yet in the elite bracket of European attackers – and there's no real proof that the north Londoners are still entertaining a move for the star.

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Kai Havertz, meanwhile, has established himself as a key man for Arsenal – and FourFourTwo ranked him at No.9 in our list of the best strikers in the world earlier this year. There's no immediate need to upgrade on the German – and we wouldn't expect the Gunners to enter the market for another centre-forward at current.

Vlahovic is valued to be worth €65 million by Transfermarkt.