Talks held as Arsenal approach £25m striker with club prepared to sell

Arsenal have held talks with the representatives of a potential bargain striker, and it is believed his club are willing to sell before January transfer deadline day on February 3.

Arsenal targeting new centre-forward for Mikel Arteta

Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for an extended period after rupturing his ACL against Man United in the FA Cup, which has pushed forward the club’s plans to bring in a prolific new centre-forward.

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Arsenal hold January talks with £51m striker as elite club open to selling

They need an alternative to Kai Havertz.

Jesus, who was seriously hitting his stride with six goals in seven games, will be a sore miss for manager Mikel Arteta – who is now working with interim sporting director Jason Ayto on a possible solution to Arsenal’s striker shortage.

Arsenal made a very public attempt to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig last summer, so their pursuit of a forward isn’t anything new. However, Jesus’ injury has now left Arteta with just Kai Havertz as his sole striking option – making the need for another body all the more urgent.

Arsenal could make another move for Sesko this month, according to various reports, while it is rumoured the likes of Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, Sporting Lisbon sensation Viktor Gyokeres and Wolves sensation Matheus Cunha are all being targeted by the Premier League title hopefuls.

Given the sheer quality of these names, it comes as no surprise they’re all likely to command a premium transfer fee. Reliable journalist Ben Jacobs even reported earlier this week that Cunha is valued at around £80 million by Wolves, so Arsenal would need to make him their second-most expensive signing behind Declan Rice.

That being said, Arsenal do have their eyes on another Brazilian striker who could prove far cheaper – Botafogo ace Igor Jesus.

Arsenal approach Igor Jesus with Botafogo open to January sale

As per Jacobs again, in a piece for TEAMtalk, Arsenal have approached Jesus’ agents for initial talks, and it is believed Botafogo are prepared to sell him this month during the Brasileiro off-season.

The 23-year-old, who earned his first caps for the Brazil national team late last year, was prolific in the UAE with Shabab Al-Ahli – having scored 34 goals and bagging an extra 16 assists in all competitions.

He’s impressed since joining Botafogo from the Middle Eastern side, and his performances have attracted attention from Arsenal as they seek to bolster their forward options.

What’s more, Botafogo could sell for as little as £25 million, making him a far more astute potential signing than the vast majority of Arteta’s reported targets. Diario As reporter Eduardo Burgos also shared news that Arsenal have joined the race for Jesus, so this is a story gaining traction and one to certainly keep an eye on.