Arsenal WILL return for striker target in summer after talks with FOUR in January

Arsenal intend to sign a new forward this summer and have laid the groundwork in the winter window, despite not bringing in a new addition.

The Gunners thrashed Manchester City 5-1 last weekend but a disappointing 2-0 (4-0 on aggregate) defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final exposed again the lack of a target striker.

It’s no secret that Mikel Arteta wants a new striker, but ultimately the right targets weren’t available for the Gunners, despite a bid being submitted for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, which was swiftly rejected.

TEAMtalk understands that if Arsenal had a domestic loan spot free, there is a good chance they would have tried to sign Brighton striker Evan Ferguson until the end of the season.

However, because the London club had already brought in Raheem Sterling and Neto on loan from Chelsea and Bournemouth respectively, signing Ferguson on loan was impossible.

Ferguson does have admirers at Arsenal but due to their loan situation, they could only sign him permanently last month, which was not something Brighton wished to sanction.

Sources state that Arsenal did call Brighton to ask about their price demands and the conditions of a permanent deal for Ferguson. But in the end, the 20-year-old striker was happy to reunite with his former manager Graham Potter at West Ham, on a straight loan until the summer.

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Arsenal enquired for Igor Jesus and Benjamin Sesko in January

As we reported in mid-January, Botafogo striker Igor Jesus was another possibility for Arsenal last month and they held talks with his agents about a potential deal.

Botafogo were willing to sell Jesus for around £20m and would have preferred an exit in January before their season begins. However, Jesus was more of an Edu ‘legacy’ target rather than someone high on the list of targets following his departure.

Arsenal also made an approach to RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko but were told that he wasn’t available in January.

The Gunners chose to respect that and not make a bid for Sesko as they are likely to return for the 21-year-old in the summer, and wanted to maintain a positive relationship with Leipzig. Sesko also made it clear in January he felt a mid-season move was not right for his development.

There were no number nines available that Arsenal felt would immediately improve their starting XI. They didn’t want to panic-buy anyone, so chose to back Kai Havertz to lead the line this season until Gabriel Jesus returns from injury, at least.

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Arsenal expected to swoop in for Sesko in the summer – sources

Arsenal may not have brought in a new striker last month but they have laid the groundwork for a productive summer window.

Sesko remains a top target for the Gunners and they are expected to be frontrunners for his signature at the end of the season.

Chelsea are also big admirers of Sesko so they could compete with Arsenal for his signature in the coming months, but the Gunners have been in contact over a move for the past three transfer windows and that puts them in s strong position.

We understand that a bid of around €60m (£50.1m, $60.4m) will be enough to sign Sesko in the summer. And his wage demands are also significantly lower than some other striker targets.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is considered the ‘dream’ target for Arsenal but he will be difficult to sign in the summer.

Newcastle, understandably, want to keep the Swedish international and value him north of £120m. If the Magpies qualify for the Champions League, they likely won’t sell him for any price and could offer him a new deal.

As for Villa striker Watkins, we can’t discount another bid being made for him in the summer after Arsenal’s failed £40m (€48.2m , $49.5m) offer.

However, with the England international turning 30 this year, it is more likely Arsenal try for Sesko or Isak ahead of Watkins come summer. Villa don’t want to sell Watkins and value him at over £60m.

Sesko is currently considered the most realistic striker target for Arsenal in the summer, Isak is the dream player they’d like to bring in, while Watkins is still an option.

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STATS: Arsenal targets Isak, Sesko and Watkins this season