Arsenal are ready to rival Aston Villa boss Unai Emery for a £33 million striker who’s “in the mould” of Man City legend Sergio Aguero, as reports continue to link Mikel Arteta with a new centre-forward.
Arsenal targeting Kai Havertz alternative with Gabriel Jesus out of form
Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday was much-needed for Arteta after their disappointing draw to Fulham last weekend, but it was yet another evening to forget for striker Gabriel Jesus overall.
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The Gunners are convinced he could “raise the team’s level”.
The former Man City forward did assist Bukayo Saka with a flash ball across the box for Arsenal’s opening goal of the game last night, but Jesus also missed two gaping one-on-one opportunities in the first half, with Monaco keeper Radoslaw Majecki denying him on both occasions.
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Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
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Everton (home) |
December 14 |
|
Crystal Palace (away) |
December 21 |
|
Ipswich Town (home) |
December 27 |
|
Brentford (away) |
January 1 |
|
Brighton (away) |
January 4 |
The Brazilian’s poor form continues, and he is still waiting to add to his tally of just one goal in all competitions so far this season, meaning Arteta is quite reliant on makeshift centre-forward Kai Havertz to deliver on a consistent-enough basis.
This has also led to constant rumours that the club’s interim sporting director Jason Ayto, working in tandem with managing director Richard Garlick, could look at new striker options as early as the January transfer window.
There are suggestions that Arsenal are targeting Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as one of the few options on their shortlist, with the Serbian enjoying an exceptional campaign in Turin and attracting interest as his contract is set to expire in 2026.
As well as Vlahovic, Arsenal continue to monitor Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig after failing with an offer to bring him to north London in the summer window.
Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s radar as well, following another sensational few months in the Primeira Liga for Coventry City’s ex-star striker, but it appears they also have a fairly new, more astute option financially to consider – in the form of Bologna’s Santiago Castro.
Arsenal “ready to rival” Aston Villa for Santiago Castro
According to CaughtOffside, the young Argentine is attracting admiring glances from within the Emirates Stadium, so much so that Arsenal are “ready to rival” Aston Villa for Castro next year.
The £33 million centre-forward is also garnering interest from the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Everton, with Serie A champions Inter Milan and Juve also keeping tabs on Castro with a view to potentially moving for him.
The 20-year-old has scored five goals and provided six assists in all competitions this term, with Castro’s most impressive performance this term coming in the Coppa Italia, where his three assists and sole strike helped to knock Monza out with a dominant 4-0 win.
It is worth noting that some media outlets have called Castro a striker “in the mould” of Aguero (Arsenal Insider), and if he’s anything like City’s all-time record goalscorer, the Argentine Under-23 international could prove a snip at £33m.
