Mikel Arteta handed new transfer blow as Arsenal face £100m bill for Gabriel Jesus replacement
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Arsenal have been issued with a hands-off warning by Aston Villa, who have no intention of selling Jhon Duran in the January transfer window. The Gunners are desperate to sign a forward this month to bolster their misfiring attack, which has been further weakened by the serious knee injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian is expected to be sidelined for a long time with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament problem, forcing Arsenal into the market for a replacement.
“We are actively looking to improve the squad,” Mikel Arteta confirmed on Tuesday. “We have been doing that since day one. We would be naive to not do that.”. Arsenal are keen on Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, but, as Mirror Football have reported, signing either is not straightforward. Williams has a £50million release clause at Athletic Bilbao and wants £300,000-a-week to leave, while Sesko might be difficult to lure mid-season.
THE FA CUP GIANT KILLERS: Get your special edition magazine celebrating some of the game's greatest-ever upsets. Duran is another striker Arsenal have previously been interested in, with reports emerging in November that they had a £46m offer rejected by Villa. The 21-year-old forward subsequently signed a new deal, keeping him at Villa Park until 2030, but the transfer links have not gone away.
Villa fielded interest from some 40 clubs over the summer and talkSPORT says that West Ham are the latest to be rejected. The Hammers reportedly offered £40m to sign Duran this month, but it would take an offer for £60m or more for Villa to even consider selling.
