Saka told me he really loves him”- Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta revealed Arsenal are set to go ALL OUT to buy £44M sensational starlet to replace injured and wasteful Gabriel Jesus- Not Ivan Toney and not Vlahovic

Arsenal could eventually replace Jesus with £44m teen dynamo 

Mikel Arteta could be close to unearthing another starlet at the Emirates

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing talent in Brazil ahead of the January transfer window, with four names in particular referenced to be of interest to Mikel Arteta and Edu in north London.

The theme of targeting midfielders and strikers seems to be the overriding narrative at the Emirates, with the likes of Fluminense star Andre and Corinthians youngster Gabriel Moscardo rumoured to be two midfielders admired by the Gunners.

In terms of forwards, Santos hitman Marcos Leonardo is speculated to have been scouted recently, with a report from 90min relaying the 20-year-old’s plans to leave his homeland this winter, although he isn’t the only young forward linked to Arsenal.

Arsenal transfer targets – Matheus Reis

In the past week, Italian outlet Calciomercato revealed that Arteta’s side are one of the interested parties with a link to Fluminense starlet Matheus Reis.

The report claims that the Brazilian side could soon trigger a ‘transfer market auction’, with four of the Premier League’s top clubs said to be eyeing the 16-year-old’s services.

As well as Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are mentioned in the report, with the 2007-born maestro claimed to have a mighty release clause of €50m (£44m), a price that isn’t expected to deter English clubs.

At just 16, the versatile forward, who can play on the left-wing or centrally, has already been promoted to Fluminense’s senior team, reinforcing just how highly rated he is by those in Brazil and in Europe, with some of the biggest clubs swarming the starlet.

What signing Reis could mean for the future at Arsenal

Described in Calciomercato’s report as a ‘mix between Gabriel Jesus and Marcos Leonardo’, the teenager certainly fits the demographic of player that the Gunners are eyeing in January.

Not only have Arsenal been linked to Leonardo already, but there is an underlying question as to whether Jesus is the right figure to lead the line at the Emirates for years to come.

In a recent interview in Brazil, relayed by journalist Chris Wheatley, the four-time Premier League winner admitted that scoring goals is not his “strong point”, making for initially worrying reading for those in north London who deploy the 26-year-old as a striker.

From injury woes to a slight lack of conviction in front of goal at times, Jesus could one day see his throne claimed by a rising talent such as Reis, who is already forming comparisons to the former Manchester City dynamo.

Signing the 16-year-old for a whopping £44m would be questionable business to some degree, particularly considering that he is yet to play at senior level in Brazil, although if any club can use past experience of taking a gamble in South America, it’s Arsenal.

In 2019, the Gunners announced the signing of 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli from Ituano, with the hope to ‘unlock his full potential’, as cited by GOAL at the time of his arrival in England.

Things have worked out swimmingly for both Arsenal and Martinelli, who is now a crucial part of Arteta’s squad, with Bukayo Saka on the opposing side also being trusted as a teen to get to where he is now.

Saka – who already boasts 14 goals and assists in just 17 games this season – thrives off of the energy and reflected threat of his Brazilian counterpart on the left side, with Reis having the potential to provide a similar joy to the Englishman in years to come.

Only time will tell if the north Londoners are in position to take a gamble and spend as much as £44m on the starlet, however the 16-year-old’s potential is clearly exciting, with four of the Premier League’s elite eyeing his movements.