Arsenal could allegedly be offered the chance to sign Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota in a shock deal during the summer transfer window.
The 28-year-old was named in the starting lineup for Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round clash with Plymouth Argyle, where he will endeavour to maintain a personal 100% record in the competition.
However, due to a combination of injury and competition for places, Jota has not made as big an impact as he would have hoped in the 2024-25 Premier League season, where he has started just seven matches.
Head coach Arne Slot has often thrust Luis Diaz into a hitherto unfamiliar central role during the current campaign, although Jota has still demonstrated his clinical touch when called upon.
The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man has registered 10 goal contributions in 20 games this season - eight of his own and two assists - but according to the Anfield Watch, he is now the target of Slot's 'frustrations'.
Liverpool open to Jota sale amid Arsenal links?
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Jota has already been sidelined by two separate muscular injuries this season, which have seen him miss 15 matches across all competitions, and his contract runs out at the end of the 2026-27 season.
As a result, the report claims that Liverpool will be open to letting Jota leave for the right price this summer, and Arsenal were keen to bring the Portugal international to the Emirates last year.
A move for Jota did not materialise in 2024, but the Reds could now sanction his exit to Mikel Arteta's side, even if they would initially be 'reluctant' to let him join a direct rival.
Jota's fitness woes means that an extension to his contract - which runs until 2027 - is unlikely at this moment in time, and the Reds would likely be able to garner a higher fee through a sale this summer than in 2026.
Arsenal may have to fend off interested parties from foreign countries to sign Jota, who has contributed a total of 64 goals and 21 assists in 165 matches for Liverpool since joining from Wolves in a £45m deal in 2020.
Would Jota improve Arsenal?
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Where the likes of Darwin Nunez have sometimes failed at Liverpool, Jota has succeeded, and the Portugal international often ranks highly among Reds attackers when it comes to converting chances.
Nunez and his Arsenal equivalent Kai Havertz have often been guilty of spurning golden opportunities; while the latter did find the net in their 5-1 win over Manchester City, he also added to his catalogue of howlers with a shocking miss in the first half.
Jota would undoubtedly represent a more ruthless option at the tip of the Arsenal attack, but the last thing that the Gunners need right now is another injury-prone forward with Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli already absent.
Whether Jota also fits the bill in terms of what Arteta is looking for is also another matter, as the Gunners boss has a very specific set of criteria for his centre-forwards, and it would not be a surprise to see Arsenal pursue a younger option as opposed to the 28-year-old Jota.
Ben Knapton
