ARSENAL fear they may have fallen victim to some sneaky tactics in their pursuit of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Boss Mikel Arteta is desperate to land a goalscorer before the January transfer window slams shut next week.
Serbia international Vlahovic was top of the list and the Gunners reportedly offered up to £88MILLION for his services.
But Arteta was stunned to see his main target reject his overtures and instead opt for a move to Serie A giants Juventus.
Now ESPN reports Arsenal bigwigs believe their interest may have been used as a ‘smokescreen’ by Fiorentina to agree the Juve deal.
The Florence club have a long-standing rivalry with their Turin-based foes, with their fans far from impressed at the Vlahovic deal.
The Gunners fear they may have been used as cover for the negotiations, with Vincenzo Italiano’s side never realistically considering selling to them.
The Vlahovic saga has left Arteta worried he could come away from the January window empty-handed.
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His goal-shy team have failed to score in FOUR games on the bounce – their worst record in 16 years.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s fall from grace has left Arteta to rely on off-target Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah to lead the line.
But neither has been able to find the net regularly and there are fears at the Emirates they may be stuck without a goalscorer for the rest of the season.
On Thursday the North London club waved goodbye to centre-back Callum Chambers, who joined Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa revolution on a three-and-a-half year deal.
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