With the winter transfer window having opened on January 1, we round up Arsenal’s done deals, plus the players linked with moves in and out of the Emirates.
‘Gunners make improved Mudryk offer’
Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk by making an improved offer to Shakhtar Donetsk, according to The Times.
The club had an initial bid of £55m for Mudryk rejected last week but have made a new exploratory offer for the Ukraine winger that is still below the £85m fee that Shakhtar are asking for.
Arsenal, who hold a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League, have agreed personal terms on a five-year deal with Mudryk. The 21-year-old has scored three times in the Champions League this season and found the net seven times in his past eight league appearances.
Mudryk posted this image of him watching Arsenal’s win over Brighton
Arsenal the ‘prime destination for young talent’
The Daily Telegraph‘s Sam Dean has written about this subject this morning and spoke on Sky Sports News in reviewing the papers…
“It’s the way Arsenal are playing and the age of the squad they’ve got right now that is contributing to this. If you look at the front four against Brighton – Saka, Nketiah, Martinelli and Odegaard – the oldest of that front four is Odegaard at 24.
“This has become very quickly under Mikel Arteta one of the absolute prime destinations for top talented young players and when you look across the game, who Arsenal are targeting and what the appeal the club might hold for some of these players, it is hard to think of a more enticing project right now.
“We all know they want to sign Mykhailo Mudryk and it seems pretty clear from his social media activity at the very least that he is keen on joining Arsenal. That paints a picture of its own as this is a place now where talent goes to thrive when only a few years ago it struggled.
“The philosophy Arteta has instilled has made joining Arsenal a very attractive proposition. It’s absolutely a possibility that Mudryk won’t join this month as Shakhtar want so much for him. There is a big gap in the valuation.
“Arsenal are trying to drive that price down. The longer the window goes on, the more Mudryk is angling that he wants to go, the feeling is that it will happen but it is not a done deal as Arsenal have walked away in the past when the price is too big. It is clear he is the man Arsenal want and it is clear that he wants them too.”
‘Mudryk keen on Arsenal move’
Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam:
“Mykhailo Mudryk has been teasing Arsenal fans by watching the side in action. He’s probably one of the most exciting wingers in European football and has the potential to go right to the very top.
“He’s a 21-year-old Ukrainian international and Arsenal are continuing their dialogue with Shakhtar Donetsk.
“There have been some reports that their initial offer has been rejected. There is a gap between what Arsenal are willing to pay and what Shakhtar are willing to receive. They are discussing the structure of the deal.
“The player is keen on the move which makes Arsenal a lot more comfortable with the situation.”
Arteta vows Arsenal will be ‘active’
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says the club are looking to be “active” in the January transfer window.
The club have lost striker Gabriel Jesus from an already slim squad due to a knee injury suffered at the World Cup and failed in a bid to sign midfielder Douglas Luiz on the final day of the summer window.
“We are going to be active and active means we are looking to strengthen the team,” said Arteta.
“This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window. We have to do that because it’s really important. But then we have to get the right profile, it has to be the right player to take us to the next level.”
Who have Arsenal been linked with?
Mykhailo Mudryk – Arsenal have stepped up their pursuit of Mudryk by making an improved offer to Shakhtar Donetsk (The Times, January 2); Mudryk has reportedly agreed personal terms on a proposed transfer to Arsenal as the forward edges closer to a move to Emirates Stadium (Daily Mirror, January 2); Shakhtar have confirmed they are willing to sell Mudryk to Arsenal in January (Daily Telegraph, December 30).
Elye Wahi – Arsenal have reportedly been following the progress of Montpellier striker Wahi (Daily Express, January 2).
Joao Felix – Manchester United and Arsenal are the frontrunners to sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix in January (Daily Express, January 2); Joao Felix has Premier League interest but the €21m price is a stumbling block for any loan move (The Athletic, January 2); Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are all reportedly reconsidering their pursuit of forward Felix due to how much it will cost to sign him on loan for six months (Daily Express, December 29); Man Utd and Arsenal have been told Atletico will allow Felix to leave the club on loan in January as long as his half-season FFP cost of around £8m is paid as a fee (Daily Record, December 24).
Dusan Vlahovic – Arsenal are ready to battle Chelsea to sign striker Dusan Vlahovic next month (The Sun on Sunday, January 1)
Alexis Mac Allister – Brighton are confident World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister will still be their player at the end of January, amid interest from Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United (The Athletic, January 2); Arsenal and Tottenham have been dealt a transfer blow as Brighton star Mac Allister prefers a move to Juventus, reports suggest (The Sun, December 30); Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are targeting Brighton’s World Cup-winning midfielder Mac Allister (AS, December 21).
Youri Tielemans – Premier League leaders Arsenal are in fresh talks over Leicester midfielder Tielemans (The Sun, December 28)
Ibrahima Bamba – Arsenal could be facing a battle to sign Italian youngster Bamba, who currently plays in Portugal for Vitoria Guimaraes, with PSG, Club Brugge and Atalanta also interested in the 20-year-old (Daily Mirror, December 27).
Adrien Rabiot – Arsenal are reportedly keen on signing Juventus midfielder Rabiot in the summer after his potential move to Manchester United last summer fell through (Daily Mail, December 23).
Ferran Torres – Arsenal are set to rekindle their interest in Barcelona forward Torres after missing out on an audacious bid to sign him over the summer (Daily Mirror, December 12).
The players linked with an Arsenal exit
Cedric Soares – Fulham are expected to make a formal offer for Arsenal defender Cedric in the coming days (Evening Standard, December 29); Fulham want to sign Arsenal right-back Cedric in the January transfer window (Sky Sports, December 14).
Martin Odegaard – Arsenal could be at risk of losing captain Odegaard following reports that his early season form has caught the eye of Real Madrid (Daily Mirror, January 2).
What are the latest contract talks?
William Saliba – Arsenal have triggered the defender’s contract extension until June 2024 (Sun, December 31).
Gabriel Martinelli – Talks between Arsenal and Martinelli about a new contract are in the “final stages”, according to reports (The Sun, December 29); Arsenal are close to agreeing a new contract with the Brazil winger that will result in Martinelli becoming one of the club’s top earners (Daily Mail, December 20).
Reiss Nelson – The 23-year-old winger is hoping to sign a new deal to extend his stay at Arsenal (The Sun, December 15).
Confirmed Arsenal signings
None.
Confirmed Arsenal departures
None.