After such an impressive start to the season, Arsenal will be desperate to pick up from where they left off and a strong January transfer window is likely to be crucial to that.
With the World Cup moving into the latter stages and resumption of club football fast approaching, transfer plans are being prepared and the Gunners will be looking to maintain, or even extend, their five-point advantage at the top of the table.
Gabriel Jesus’ knee surgery is a huge blow to Mikel Arteta’s side, and could force the club into the transfer window to bolster their forward options. A recall for Folarin Balogun is a potential option.
Mykhailo Mudryk is a player that the Gunners remain interested in and those rumours will be only intensify in the weeks ahead, while 15-year-old Estevao Willian is also being linked with Arsenal.
Here is all the latest transfer gossip out of north London...
Mykhailo Mudryk
Arsenal continue to be strongly linked with Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk, and the player has made it clear he would be very keen on a move to north London.
The 21-year-old scored three goals and provided two assists in the Champions League group stage for Shakhtar Donetsk, and while it’s suggested the club want as much as €100m for him, Mudryk himself has posted on social media to suggest his value should be closer to €40m, evidently concerned about being priced out of a move.
Gabriel Jesus undergoing knee surgery could be bad news for Mudryk, with the Gunners potential having to shift the focus of their January transfer plans.
Arsenal could postpone a move for Mudryk, and instead concentrate their efforts on bringing in a striker to cover for Jesus and ensure the club aren’t solely reliant on Eddie Nketiah.
Estevao Willian
Palmeiras wonderkid Endrick has been attracting interest from all across Europe in recent months, but his team-mate Estevao Willian could be on the move too in the near future.
Also known as Messinho, the 15-year-old is seen as a huge prospect and Goal Brasil report that a number of big clubs have already been in contact over a potential deal.
One of those was PSG, who have had an initial offer turned down, while it’s suggested that Arsenal have also made contact with the club and are monitoring the situation.
Estevao would not be able to join a European side until he was 18, with the Gunners planning to keep tabs on the teenager and hope that the strong Brazilian contingent at the Emirates would help their cause in getting any deal over the line.
Joao Felix
Atletico Madrid CEO Gil Marin has made it clear that Joao Felix could be leaving the club soon, with issues between the player and manager Diego Simeone remaining.
He told TVE: “For reasons it isn’t worth getting into - the relationship between him and the boss, the minutes played, his motivation right now - it makes you think that the reasonable thing is that if there’s an option that’s good for the player, good for the club, we can look at it.
“I’d love him to stay personally, but I don’t think that’s the player’s idea.”
Plenty of clubs will be interested in the 23-year-old, with Italian journalist Matteo Moretto claiming that Arsenal are one of those and initial talks with agent Jorge Mendes have been held.
However, while Felix is keen to leave Atletico, it’s believed the club are looking for a fee in the region of €130m.
Folarin Balogun
Arsenal have a big decision to make in January when it comes to their forward options, with Jesus potentially out for three months.
Nketiah is the obvious option to replace the Brazilian, with the 23-year-old signing a new contract at the end of last season on the basis that he was going to get more first-team football.
According to 90min, the Gunners have the option to recall Folarin Balogun from his loan spell at Reims and that remains a possible option.
The 21-year-old has shone in France so far this season, scoring eight times in Ligue 1, and while Arsenal would prefer to let him continue his development with Reims, there have been reportedly been talks over a potential recall.
