Arsenal were desperately scrambling for a midfielder on transfer deadline day. Injuries suffered to Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny seriously weakened Mikel Arteta’s options in the middle of the park.
football.london understood that a deal to sign Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz was actively being pursued on deadline day. But after three rejected bids by Villa, Arsenal were unable to secure a signing.
It had also been reported that the Gunners had the chance to sign Florian Grillitsch on a free transfer before the deadline, but Edu decided against this. The decision to reject this deal could prove to be a blessing for the North London side, similar to the Gabriel Jesus transfer in the summer.
