Arsenal may now be "willing to pay" market value for one club's "incredible" striker as a possible alternative to heavily-linked Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Will Arsenal sign a striker?

One gaping hole in Mikel Arteta's side, as widely believed, is the lack of a world-class centre-forward. While the Gunners are currently joint-top with north London rivals Tottenham on points, winning six out of a possible eight and remaining unbeaten in the Premier League, many of their victories have come through narrow one-goal margins. The title hopefuls, as a result, are eyeing up a new striker for 2024.

While some reports, like one from Football Transfers this week, have suggested that Arteta prefers to sign an alternative to Bukayo Saka – the vast majority have claimed that Toney is of real interest to Arsenal and a January move is possible. The Englishman, who scored 20 league goals, would seriously bolster Arteta's ranks and some pundits like TV journalist Piers Morgan say that the club's supporters are "kidding themselves" if they think Arsenal don't need a forward.

“I think that in January we have to go and get Ivan Toney or someone like him because we need a proper striker," said Morgan.

“Every Arsenal fan knows this and I think we’ve been kidding ourselves for too long that we can exist without one and the truth is that we can’t.”

Dusan Vlahovic transfer update

However, while links continue to surround a move for Toney, that isn't to say there are no alternatives. Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who's started this season with real aplomb, is one name to be mentioned recently. A report from Tutto Juve and journalist Massimo Pavan, sharing the latest Vlahovic transfer update, has claimed that Arsenal (and sporting director Edu Gaspar by extension) may now be "willing to pay" the Serbia international's market value of around £70 million to get a deal done.

However, there is some bad news for supporters concerning this, as Vlahovic's club are set to demand much more money than this. Indeed, a figure of around £90 million could even be the yard stick according to this report. Given Vlahovic's start to the new Serie A campaign, this is hardly surprising, as the former Fiorentina star has already scored four goals in six league appearances already this season.

Former Juve star turned commentator, Massimo Mauro, has also called the young striker "incredible" and "like he has always been" in Turin with the Old Lady.

Direct free-kicks

Offside awareness

Long shots

Defensive contribution

Finishing

Discipline

“Vlahovic is incredible," exclaimed Mauro to TUTTOmercatoWEB (via the Juventus official website).

"It almost seems like he has always been there, he hasn’t undergone the change of environment at all like it happened in Florence also in Turin, he takes the field and scores goals. And now Juve is starting to scare again, if the others continue to take pauses for reflection, the Bianconeri are ready to return fully for the title fight.”