Arsenal targeting £54m “leader” who made history by scoring against them

Arsenal are believed to be tussling with both Man United and Liverpool in the race for a player who once made history scoring against the Gunners.

Ayto and Arteta in market to sign new attacker for Arsenal

The January transfer window is right around the corner, opening in just over a month, and manager Mikel Arteta could look to use it as the Spaniard attempts to guide his team to their first Premier League title in 21 years.

Arsenal have been hit by a wave of injuries to key players during the first half of this season, with Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Merino being just some of the names sidelined at some point.

White could be out injured at Arsenal until 2025, while Arteta is also sweating on the fitness of Saka and Rice ahead of their first game back after the international break, where they will take on high-flying Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.

The array of fitness concerns and selection headaches perhaps highlights the need for extra bodies in key areas, with some reports suggesting that Arsenal are keen to bring in a new attacking midfielder.

Indeed, in the past week, there have been links to Real Madrid star Arda Guler, Barcelona’s Raphinha and Villarreal starlet Alex Baena. Some media sources claim Arteta has asked the Arsenal board to consider Raphinha, while others state that Arsenal think they can replicate the Odegaard deal with Guler.

This comes after suggestions that Arsenal are planning to sign back-ups to their key stars once we reach the turn of the year, with well-connected former Premier League scout Mick Brown telling Football Insider that they could even bring in an alternative to Saka.

Arsenal now targeting AC Milan star Christian Pulisic

An interesting new target now reportedly on the club’s radar is ex-Chelsea star and USA captain Christian Pulisic, who has been enjoying quite the return to form since sealing a £20 million switch to AC Milan last year.

According to The Daily Briefing, Arsenal are now showing an interest in signing Pulisic, but both Liverpool and Man United are in the mix as well. However, he won’t be let go on the cheap, as the Rossoneri are apparently demanding nearly triple what they paid for him at £54 million.

The 26-year-old has racked up seven goals and five assists in all competitions already, including strikes against Arne Slot’s side in the Champions League and Serie A champions Inter Milan in the league.

Interestingly, Pulisic made history by scoring against Arsenal in 2020, becoming the youngest player to score in an FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo and the first American to score in the final as well.

“Christian is a selfless leader;” said former USA boss Gregg Berhalter on Pulisic earlier this year.

“He goes out, competes, works hard, and that benefits the team.”