Director reacts to reports of Arsenal ‘offer’ for his £70m striker

Follow us on Google Discover

Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli insists he knows nothing about a potential bid from Premier League giants Arsenal for £70 million striker Dusan Vlahovic. 

With Brentford coach Thomas Frank insisting that Ivan Toney will be going nowhere in January, could Arsenal shift their focus back to a striker who emerged on their radar before his big-money move from Fiorentina to Serie A rivals Juventus back in 2022? 

The Gunners are certainly admirers of Dusan Vlahovic. 

The agent of former Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira admitted that the London giants were ‘angry’ to have missed out on the Serbia international two years ago, despite offering the Uruguayan enforcer in exchange. 

Will Arsenal go back for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic

Vlahovic’s reputation is not quite so glittery these days – he has struggled for an attritional Juve side not exactly renowned for creating a hatful of chances under Max Allegri – but reports linking the talented centre-forward with a move to the Emirates continue to do the rounds. 

Not that Cristiano Giuntoli is losing any sleep.

“Arsenal’s offer for Vlahovic? We know nothing about it,” the former Napoli chief said after Juventus’ 6-1 Coppa Italia thrashing of Salernitana on Thursday (Sport Mediaset).  

“He’s not on the market, so (the rumours) are of little interest.”

Vlahovic, arguably the most coveted centre-forward in European football not named Erling Haaland a couple of seasons back, has scored only six goals in 16 games this term. One suspects, however, that the 23-year-old would be a man reborn if provided with a steady stream of ammunition by the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli at the Emirates Stadium. 

Mikel Arteta might need a prolific centre-forward

Arsenal have also been linked with Sporting Lisbon frontman Viktor Gyokeres, the broad-shouldered Swede who was plying his trade in England’s second tier with Coventry City just 12 months ago. Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, however, insists that Gyokeres will not be going anywhere for a penny less than his £86 million release clause. 

“In relation to Gyokeres, there is a release clause. Especially in January, he will only leave through the release clause,” Amorim tells TVI. “So, if that happens, we won’t be able to do anything.”