Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, who was a player that Arsenal were interested in signing last summer after an injury to Mohamed Elneny prompted a shift of focus in their end-of-August transfer priorities, is no longer a target. The Brazilian had caught the eye of the club for his appearances in midfield in Brazil.
However, according to The Athletic, the 21-year-old is not on Arsenal’s agenda moving into the January window. Mikel Arteta knows that this season is an opportunity for the club to push toward an unlikely title charge as they sit five points clear at the top of the Premier League and the winter market provides a great opportunity for the Gunners to consolidate their efforts.
Speaking ahead of the final Premier League game before the World Cup began, Arteta was certainly unassured about how active Arsenal would be in the winter window, although the hope of an unscathed team did not come true.
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“I don’t know, this is so unpredictable this window, especially with the World Cup in the middle. We will have a look, we will try to get the squad stronger and be active, because we don’t know what is going to happen in that World Cup.
“Touch wood, everybody will be OK.”
Of course, everybody was not okay. Gabriel Jesus was injured playing for Brazil and now faces an extended period out of the side after he underwent successful knee surgery.
When it comes to transfers Arteta has been adamant that the club will only sign ‘top quality.’ Speaking at the end of the summer transfer window the Spaniard laid out the rhetoric for how the club would approach its business from now on.
“[It] has to be the right person and has to be the right player,” Arteta said. “We only want to bring top quality through that door. If not it’s not worth it.”
With January now upon the club and reinforcement needed, football.london understands that a wide player and central midfielder remain the priority areas the club are exploring. Danilo could have been a target that continued forward to 2023. However, this now appears unlikely.
The reason for this change in stance is almost certainly connected to where the club are. At 21, Danilo remains an unrefined talent who would take time and minutes to assimilate into the English game and reach a level to provide a competitive impact in relation to the current starters.
Were Arsenal to be without Thomas Partey for an important game at this present time starting current cover option Mohamed Elneny would be a far safer option than risking the unproven Danilo. This, therefore, signals further that any business done by Edu must match the challenge of securing players who will push the starters with their own competitive quality.
Newly promoted sporting director Edu is more than qualified to push ahead with these aims, considering the squad he has been critical in the construction of has proven its progressive talent. The regular starting XI contains nine players that have been brought in during the three-plus years that the Brazilian has been involved with the club.
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