Arsenal have now made contact with Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic ahead of a potential January transfer swoop.

The Lowdown: Arsenal target striker

In light of Gabriel Jesus needing to undergo surgery for a knee injury sustained in Brazil's World Cup game with Cameroon, Mikel Arteta has identified the need for a new striker to keep them in the hunt for the Premier League title.

CBS Reporter Ben Jacobs recently announced that there is a 'very real possibility' that Vlahovic could make a January exit from Juventus, and the Gunners now appear to be potential suitors for the man that they were interested in last January.

The Latest: Contact made

According to Tuttosport, via Football London, Edu and the Gunners have contacted the forward's representatives, targeting a move in January due to the nature of Jesus' injury.

Amid Juventus' financial uncertainty, talks have apparently been ongoing throughout the World Cup, with the Serie A side bracing to lose some of their star players.

The Verdict: Get it done

Journalist Siavoush Fallahi has previously hailed the Serbia international as a 'beast', and this is highlighted with a very good scoring record in what is only a short career so far, netting 68 goals in 171 senior club games, while also bagging 11 assists in the process.

The 22-year-old is a live-wire in the opposition box, always looking to test the opposition goalkeeper, registering 3.44 shots per 90 minutes over the past year, placing him in the 89th percentile compared to his positional peers.

While Arteta will obviously be frustrated to lose Jesus, the injury could prove to be a blessing in disguise on a more long-term basis, as he may not have opted to move for a new striker otherwise.

Now he could be blessed with healthy competition for the starting striker pot, by signing a fantastic player who still has his best years ahead of him.