Arsenal will be keeping a close eye on striker Dusan Vlahovic’s contract situation at Juventus with a view to a possible summer bid, it has been claimed.

The Serbian international is Juve’s top scorer with 16 goals in 28 league outings this season, despite Juventus themselves having a disappointing campaign in which they have particularly struggled to find the net. Vlahovic’s haul accounts for over a third of their strikes this season.

Arsenal transfer link to Dusan Vlahovic just won’t sod off

This is far from the first time Arsenal have been linked with a move for Vlahovic, who has been reported as a Gunners target for over two years.

The connection was revived earlier this season and rumbled on throughout the January transfer window, which always reeks to us of an agent drumming up an old bit of reported interest to make their client look more in-demand. Incidentally, Juve just happen to be in contract negotiations with Vlahovic. Hmm.

The latest reports honestly amount to little more than ‘if X and Y then Z’ conjecture: if those talks between Vlahovic and Juventus don’t go well – and they are reportedly offering him a one-year extension on a lower salary – then he might move to someone like Arsenal in the summer. Maybe. Potentially.

Judge for yourselves, though. Sport Witness pass on reporting from journalist and Juventus specialist Mirko Di Natale, who told Calcio Mercato: “The talks are positive and there are good chances of a conclusion for Vlahovic, in whom Arsenal are showing strong interest from England. 

“Juve and Vlahovic will have to find an agreement and ensure that both parties are satisfied. 

“If they don’t reach an agreement within the summer window, Vlahovic can enter Juve’s transfer window and ensure that he can be one of those exits that Giuntoli has in mind this summer.”

Vlahovic has also previously been linked with Chelsea.

Reports of Arsenal striker hunt showing no signs of slowing

Arsenal have been linked with about 427 centre-forwards this season despite being the Premier League’s top scorers.

However, relatively few of those goals have actually come from their strikers, with Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard either picking up the slack or being enabled by their existing options, depending on your perspective.

Kai Havertz has had a recent purple patch when deployed at number 9 but spent the first half of the season playing in an attacking midfield role, while Gabriel Jesus recently admitted he has been playing through a nagging injury and is weighing up whether he might have surgery in the summer to correct the issue.