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Arsenal's semi-final against Liverpool in the EFL Cup has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Anfield. The Gunners will now face the Reds on the Thursday, 13 January.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have tabled a €70 million offer for a Serie A star. Elsewhere, Marseille are interested in a Gunners defender.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 5th January 2022.
Arsenal table €70 million offer for Dusan Vlahovic
Arsenal have submitted a €70 million offer for Dusan Vlahovic, according to The Hard Tackle via Gazzetta dello Sport. The Gunners have also included Lucas Torreira in their bid to convince Fiorentina to sell Vlahovic.
Vlahovic emerged as a target for Arsenal after a string of consistent performances recently. The Serb has been outstanding for Fiorentina in recent times. His form has endeared him to quite a few clubs around Europe, including the Gunners.
Arsenal are in a precarious situation with their current striker force. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been indefinitely frozen out of the squad, and is likely to leave the Gunners soon. Eddie Nketiah also has one foot out of the Emirates. The London side are also expected to lose Alexandre Lacazette this year, with the Frenchman in the final year of his current contract.
As such, a new striker is the need of the hour at Arsenal. The Gunners are willing to go all out for Vlahovic this month. The London side have tabled an offer of €55 million plus Lucas Torreira for the 21-year-old.
Arsenal value Torreira at €15 million, which makes their entire offer worth €70 million. The Uruguayan player is currently on loan with Fiorentina, where he has been impressive so far.
It was previously believed that Vlahovic would be willing to end the current season with Fiorentina before making a move. However, the Serie A side are aware that they might not be able to command a hefty fee for the player. That's because his contract runs out next summer.
They are also keen to tie down Torreira to a permanent deal. As such, the Serie A side could accept Arsenal's proposal for Vlahovic.
Marseille interested in Sead Kolasinac
Marseille are interested in Arsenal outcast Sead Kolasinac, according to The Daily Mail. The Bosnian has been a peripheral figure at the Emirates in recent times.
The Gunners are planning to offload him this month, with his current deal set to expire in the summer. Marseille are looking to take him to Ligue 1, but they could face competition from Watford and Bayer Leverkusen.
Newcastle United warned about pursuing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips has warned Newcastle United about their pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international has been frozen out of the Arsenal team by Arteta due to disciplinary reasons.
The Magpies are planning to secure his signature. Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips highlighted Aubameyang's 'Jekyll and Hyde' behaviour.
"If you look at his age as well, he’s going to command a lot of money. I would worry if I was a Newcastle. I’d be very, very careful. You don’t know which Aubameyang is going to turn up. If you knew you were getting the Aubameyang we’ve seen in the past, go for it. I just think at this stage in his career, I’d be very cautious," said Phillips.
