Arsenal are turning their attention to the January transfer window as they head to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp.
The Gunners have flown out to the Middle East to compete in the Dubai Super Cup. Mikel Arteta’s side will play Lyon on December 8 and AC Milan on December 13 before returning to London to face Juventus in another friendly.
While the players are gearing up for the return to competitive football, against West Ham on Boxing Day, Arteta and sporting director Edu have other things on their minds. The Gunners duo were at the SoFi Stadium on Sunday to meet Josh Kroenke and discuss their approach to the January transfer window.
The Gunners have reportedly been given a £50million transfer budget. Here are the players they might be spending that money on.
Tielemans has ‘agreed’ transfer
Youri Tielemans has been linked with a move to Arsenal for a long time. It didn’t happen in the summer, but it could well happen in June 2023.
The Leicester City midfielder’s contract is into its final six months and he hasn’t given assurances to his current team. Barcelona have been eyeing up the Belgium international as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets, but they have reportedly been discouraged recently.
Marca says that Barca are getting the feeling that Tielemans has already given his word to a different club – and they believe it could well be Arsenal.
Shakhtar find Mudryk replacement
Arsenal are very keen on signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who has turned plenty of heads through his performances in the past year or so.
After initially asking for £90m, Shakhtar are ready to do business for around £40m. Arsenal appear to be in pole position, with Mudryk’s Ukraine teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko making a move to north London more friendly.
The Gunners will therefore be pleased to hear that Shakhtar have made a bid for a potential replacement. Kevin of Palmeiras is the man, according to The Express. The 19-year-old forward could become the latest Brazilian talent to move to Shakhtar, who have a history of unearthing South American talent.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who should Arsenal sign in the January transfer window? Comment below.
PSG willing to sell Soler
Tielemans isn’t the only central midfielder being linked with Arsenal. They are also reportedly interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Carlos Soler.
Reports in the French media indicate that Soler could be sold in order to free up funds for new arrivals, with financial fair play impacting the French giants’ plans.
Arteta is a known fan of Soler, having pushed hard to sign him from Valencia back in the summer of 2020.
The 25-year-old has only started five games in all competitions since joining for around €20m in August and he’s yet to complete 90 minutes in a single fixture for PSG. He’s currently away with Spain at the World Cup, where his standing hasn’t been affected much by limited action at club level.
