According to a report in Metro, Arsenal will go head-to-head with city rivals Chelsea in the up coming January transfer window for the signature of new Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, who has hardly settled at his new club since making his summer move to the Italian giants from Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao.

Arsene Wenger was under tremendous pressure from the club’s supporters, who wanted to see an addition in the striking department, with the club lacking an out-and-out striker after the departure of Robin van Persie. Even though Olivier Giroud joined the club last season, the Frenchman could not create a consistent impact in the side. However, the new season has seen the tide turn for Giroud, who has been able to find the back of the net on all four outings the club has had so far in the Barclays Premier League. That apart, he also scored one goal in the UEFA Champions League qualifier round against Fenerbache, taking his season’s total tally to 5 goals in 6 appearances. Even though the fans would be upset at Wenger’s decision of not spending on a star striker, Mesut Ozil’s arrival on a club record £42.4 million transfer from Real Madrid brought the smiles back on the faces of the Gunners faithful, who have been patiently waiting for a trophy for nearly a decade. Ozil made his first appearance for the club against Sunderland in the 1-3 away victory, and created several opportunities for his team mates, earning plaudits for his debut performance.

Chelsea had a similar dilemma to their London rivals, and Jose Mourinho tried hard to sign a star striker, but had to settle with Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto’o. Mourinho’s open appeal to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United created quite a stir among the experts and fans, but United’s reluctance to sell settled the matter there.

Llorente’s 262 league appearances for Bilbao combined with 85 goals scored make him a player to watch out, but being ignored by his current manager may open the door for Arsenal and Chelsea in the coming winter window.