'First bid rejected' as Gunners 'position to trigger release clause' amid 'major blow'

According to reports, Arsenal have had their ‘first bid rejected’ by Juventus for Serbia international Dusan Vlahovic after they were dealt a ‘major blow’.

The Gunners have struggled in front of goal this season as they have become overly reliant on set pieces. They have also found it difficult to cope without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard while their two key players have been out of action due to injury.

Mikel Arteta’s side are six points adrift of Premier League table-toppers Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Arsenal have the best defence in the Premier League, but their woes in attack are holding them back as Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling have underperformed.

The North London outfit were beaten by Manchester United – who played most of the match with ten men – in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon and this has reinforced the view that they need to sign a new striker.

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Arsenal – who have been overtaken by Spurs in the net spend table – were initially expected to wait until the summer to land a new striker, but they could enter the market after Jesus suffered a serious injury in a ‘major blow’.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed: ‘He is set for a long spell out through a suspected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture — although it is his left knee rather than the right, on which he had surgery in 2022.

‘Further specialist reviews are scheduled for Tuesday to establish the full extent of the damage, but it represents another major blow for Arsenal.

‘Speculation will now intensify over potential recruitment and they are open to doing business if suitable opportunities arise.

‘Arsenal do have some financial room to manoeuvre, while their desire to recruit both a striker and wide attacker is long-standing and has not receded.

‘The problem is the availability of players that manager Mikel Arteta wants, the level of cost involved and whether the options would represent an upgrade on existing personnel.’

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A report from Football Transfers claims Arsenal have had their ‘first loan bid’ for Vlahovic ‘rejected’ by Juventus, who ‘want to sell the player outright or at least include an obligation to buy in any temporary deal that is struck’.

Juventus fended off competition from Arsenal to sign Vlahovic from Serie A rivals Fiorentina during the 2023 January transfer window and Arteta remains a ‘big fan’ of the forward, who could be signed as an alternative to RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

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