Arsenal are already preparing for a busy January transfer window with Mikel Arteta hoping to bolster the options in his squad ahead of the final months of the 2022/23 season. The Gunners have identified central midfield as a position in need of upgrades and have identified several possible additions.
Following injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, Arsenal made a move on deadline day for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz but the deal fell through after the Midlands club rebuffed three bids from Arsenal, with the Brazilian now having signed a new long-term deal at Villa Park.
Arsenal, along with Chelsea and Spurs, are now reportedly interested in signing Liverpool star Naby Keita, according to 90min, with the midfielder's contract set to expire at the end of the season.
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The 27-year-old has seen injuries plague his Liverpool career making just 117 appearances after joining the club from RB Leipzig for £53million in 2018. Keita, who is absent with an injury, is also yet to feature this season.
But with Arsenal unlikely to move on Keita until the summer of 2023 and in desperate need of midfield re-enforcements now, football.london looks at the other possible options the Gunners could target in January:
Youri Tielemans
The future of Leicester star Youri Tielemans has been a strong topic of conversation for the last 12 months, with the midfielder's contract also set to expire next summer.
Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus have all been linked with the Belgian midfielder as an option, but the latter two clubs' interest has cooled recently, possibly leaving the door open for Arsenal.
Tielemans has made 171 appearances for the Foxes since joining from Monaco in 2019 for a club-record £40million and while Brendan Rodgers will not want to lose his star midfielder if it's made clear he will not sign a new contract in the summer, the club may be forced to let him go in January to ensure he does not depart on a free transfer.
Danilo
Another midfield name that Arsenal have concrete interest in is Palmeiras midfielder Danilo . The 21-year-old was the subject of a late bid from the Gunners as they rapidly searched for midfield options after injuries to Partey and Elneny in the summer.
The Brazilian midfielder broke into the Palmeiras first team in 2020 and signed a five-year deal with the club that September and has gone on to rack up 137 appearances for the Brazilian Serie A club scoring 12 goals.
Arsenal were reportedly not close to Palmeiras' valuation of Danilo, but with Stan Kroenke reportedly set to inject another £50million into the club, Arsenal could revisit this deal in January
Konrad Laimer
Perhaps a harder deal to complete would be luring RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer to the Premier League. The Austrian midfielder has been absent from the Leipzig squad for over a month after suffering an ankle injury.
Laimer, who has made 113 Bundesliga appearances, has previously been linked with moves to Liverpool and Bayern Munich. He is another top European midfielder with a contract that expires in the summer of 2023 who could potentially be a bargain-buy in January for Arsenal.
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