Arsenal chiefs want to tempt a player away from Barcelona “now” after finding out he could leave the Camp Nou in January, with the north Londoners also willing to put a winter offer on the table.
Arsenal monitoring January market for transfer opportunities
Mikel Arteta and co are attentive to potential opportunities on the market this month, even if the Spaniard has admitted that his priority is to get the very best out of his current options at N5.
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Over the last week, Arsenal have dropped points away to Brighton in the Premier League and lost the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle in a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday, with the Gunners failing to convert chances and proving wasteful in front of goal.
|
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Tottenham (home) |
January 15 |
|
Aston Villa (home) |
January 18 |
|
Wolves (away) |
January 25 |
|
Man City (home) |
February 2 |
|
Leicester City (away) |
February 15 |
There are reports that Arsenal are keen on signing a new forward in January, to cope without the injured Bukayo Saka, and it is believed that PSG attacker Lee Kang-in could become a target for Arteta if the Ligue 1 champions are prepared to green-light a loan with the option to buy him outright (The Athletic).
Arteta, speaking to the press recently, confirmed that a new arrival is indeed possible for Arsenal before deadline day on February 3 – but it would have to be the perfect deal for interim sporting director Jason Ayto to consider heading to the table.
“That hasn’t changed,” said Arteta when asked about potential January signings. “Again the focus is our players. Whatever is in the market, we’re very alert, but the priority is working with the players that we have at the moment and tomorrow night, which is a big night for us. It’s not a yes, it’s not a no.”
As well as Kang-in, Arteta personally wants Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams at Arsenal before the end of this window, but a move for the Spain winger could be complicated by the mid-season finances involved (David Ornstein).
Arsenal prepared to bid for Barcelona defender Araujo
While a new defender wasn’t thought to be high on Arsenal’s priority list for January, a report by Spanish journalist Roger Torello this week claims that they’re very keen on £113,000-per-week Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo.
The Uruguayan, who has spent the vast majority of this season sidelined with a hamstring injury, recently returned to the fold and appeared on Hansi Flick’s bench for their last two La Liga matches.
However, reports claim that he could leave this month if the right opportunity arises, and this has alerted Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs. Indeed, it is believed that Arsenal want to take Araujo from Barcelona “now”, and they’re prepared to make a bid for the South American alongside Serie A heavyweights Juventus.
It is worth noting that his future apparently “hangs by a thread”, according to this report. Araujo’s deal expires in 2026, and there is no sign of a renewal as things stand. Taking this into account, he could even be a low-cost option for Arsenal.
