Arsenal have reportedly made a late attempt to lure Alvaro Morata to the Emirates as Mikel Arteta continues to search for a striker solution.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal have launched an attempt to sign Alvaro Morata late in the January transfer window. The Juventus striker is out of favour in Turin and could be available on a loan deal before the transfer deadline.
Arsenal have a precarious situation on their hands, as they are nowhere close to signing a new striker. There have been plenty of departures in this window, with Mikel Arteta prioritising offloading the unwanted players before planning to bring in new ones.
There is also the possibility of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving for Barcelona on loan in the next hours, which would leave Arsenal extremely short on the striker front. Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah remain their only senior forwards for the second half of the season. This term, they have just two goals between them from open play in the Premier League.
Arteta spent a large chunk of this month chasing Dusan Vlahovic, who has since joined Juventus in a big-money move. There have also been links to Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Arsenal will be wary of spending big money on secondary targets this month.
Hence, a loan move could be on the cards, and Arsenal have reportedly enquired about the possibility of signing Morata on a temporary move. The Spanish international has been rendered redundant at Juventus as Vlahovic is likely to take his place, while a move to Barcelona seems to be off as parent club Atletico Madrid were against the idea of strengthening a domestic rival.
It may have opened the door for Arsenal to attempt a move. Juventus are prepared to cancel his loan agreement, and the Gunners need a quality striker before the transfer deadline. Arsenal’s decision to reject Newcastle United’s offer for Eddie Nketiah indicates their indecisiveness about bringing in a new striker.
However, the latest report suggests that Morata may have reservations about returning to the Premier League after his disappointing spell with Chelsea. While he has plenty of experience, his time at Chelsea is regarded as a failure, but Arsenal bosses do not see it that way. Arteta views his qualities as useful for his current squad and could hope to persuade the striker to jump ships before the transfer deadline.
It remains to be seen if the Gunners are successful in bringing Morata back to the Premier League and solving their striker problem. The big issue would be the time remaining to complete the transfers as the window will slam shut tonight.
