Dusan Vlahovic has emerged as a January option for Arsenal – but history shows Mikel Arteta should think twice before making a move.
It is no secret the Gunners boss is looking to bolster his attack this month to address the club’s struggles up top.
Questions marks continue to remain over Kai Havertz’s ruthlessness in front of goal, while the club have been rocked by Gabriel Jesus’ latest ACL injury.
And with Arsenal once again in a title race, Arteta knows strengthening his side is vital should he wish to guide the Gunners to a first league championship since 2004.
talkSPORT understands Juventus centre-forward Vlahovic is being considered by the north London outfit ahead of a possible swoop.
Arsenal came close to securing the Serbia international’s signature in 2022, but the player instead chose to join the Old Lady from Fiorentina.
However, due to unfortunate luck and desperation setting in, Arteta could finally land the 24-year-old.
Vlahovic is Juve’s top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions this season, but with the player showing no indication he will extend his stay in Turin beyond 2026, Juve could look to part ways with him.
But Arsenal should be wary of bringing him in having enjoyed little success in transfer dealings from Serie A in recent years.
While arguably the club’s three biggest legends in Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira all arrived from Italy, many more have ultimately failed to make an impression.
From injury nightmares to struggling to cope with the intensity of the English top-flight, many Gooners are justified in their view of being cautious of another transfer from Italy.
Here talkSPORT.com runs down Arsenal’s last five signings from Serie A, which should give Arteta food for thought.
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Stephan Lichtsteiner
The experienced right-back – then 34 – was brought to the Emirates by Unai Emery in 2018 on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Juventus.
He was the first arrival in the post-Arsene Wenger era, but he struggled to make any impact in north London.
Signed to provide back-up for Hector Bellerin and to help install a winning mentality in the squad, the Switzerland defender looked every bit of his age.
Poor showings away at Brighton and at home to Cardiff saw many fans start to turn on the seven-time Serie A winner.
He ultimately departed Arsenal after just one season having made 23 appearances in all competitions – with 14 of his outings coming in the Premier League.
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Lucas Torreira
The Uruguayan defensive midfielder joined Arsenal from Sampdoria in 2018 in a £22million deal on the back of a stellar World Cup in Russia.
He quickly became a fan favourite – earning widespread acclaim from fans and pundits as a result of his tenacity and ball-playing abilities.
A goal against bitter rivals Tottenham in a famous 4-2 win over only further endeared himself to the Arsenal faithful, before he followed that strike up with a bicycle kick winner against Huddersfield the following week.
But his form drastically went downhill in 2019, and he soon became a bit-part player under Emery, and was then used sparingly by Arteta following his appointment.
Torreira pushed for a move away in 2020, and duly got it – joining Atletico Madrid on loan to help them become LaLiga champions – before linking up Fiorentina on loan the following campaign.
Once tipped as a future star, Torreira finally ended his Arsenal nightmare in 2022, moving to Galatasaray for a meagre £5.5m.
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Takehiro Tomiyasu
The versatile Japanese defender arrived on deadline in the summer of 2021 for around £16m and became an instant hit.
Despite being a natural centre-back, he slotted in at right-back and made the position his own, only for a calf injury ruling him out for a large chunk in the second half of the season.
Injury setbacks have been a theme of the 26-year-old’s time in England so far, with the player unable to keep fit for large periods.
In what is his fourth season at Arsenal, Tomiyasu is yet to feature in more than 22 games in a Premier League campaign, and hasn’t played in more than 31 matches in all competitions.
Tomiyasu missed the start of this term due to a knee injury, before suffering a recurrence of the problem in October against Southampton during a six-minute cameo from the bench.
Since arriving, the player, who has 18 months left to run on his contract, has missed a staggering 78 fixtures and many fans feel can no longer be trusted.
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Jakub Kiwior
The Polish defender moved to Arsenal from Spezia in the winter transfer window in 2022 for £22m.
But the 24-year-old has never been able to hold down a permanent role in the starting XI due to the formidable partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The majority of his first-team chances in the Premier League have come at left-back, where he has performed adequately.
Despite featuring in 52 games in the last two years, he has played in just eight top-flights games this term – starting twice.
His lack of regular game time has led to an increase in mistakes in his game, which has seen Kiwior left on the bench in the last six Premier League matches.
Not only is he the third-choice centre-back, he is now behind Myles Lewis-Skelly, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the left-back pecking order.
And it should come as no surprise that clubs in Italy are weighing up a move to bring the player back to Serie A.
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Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal fended off interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid to sign the highly-rated Italian from Bologna last summer in a deal rising to £38m.
The 22-year-old earned rave reviews at Euro 2024 to establish himself as one of the most talented defenders around the globe.
Just like Tomiyasu and Kiwior, Saliba and Gabriel’s partnership has seen Calafiori deployed as a full-back.
A goal against Manchester City in the 2-2 draw at Etihad looked to be a sign of things to come, however things haven’t been smooth sailing since.
In his first six months in England, Calafiori has picked up four separate injuries, which has seen him miss a total of 16 matches.
Calafiori has featured in just 11 out of Arsenal’s 21 top-flight matches, and hasn’t been able to play three league games in a row since October.
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