Arsenal’s deadline day plans with £87m player on wishlist and six transfers done

Arsenal have completed six deals this January and Mikel Arteta has his side sitting pretty atop the Premier League table

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are leading the race for the Premier League title following some significant summer investments. However, the club has yet to introduce any new faces to the Emirates in January.

The Gunners have been runners-up in the top flight for the past three seasons but are launching a relentless attack on defending champions Liverpool’s crown this season. They bounced back from a defeat to Manchester United with a 4-0 victory over Leeds United on Saturday.

Last summer saw the arrivals of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Martin Zubimendi, along with several other key squad members. Arsenal splashed out more than £250million in that window.

In January, Arteta’s team hasn’t been strengthened, but some young players have been sent out on loan, including the promising Ethan Nwaneri. Mirror Football provides a guide to Arsenal’s situation as deadline day arrives.

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Six players have departed the Emirates so far this window. Nwaneri is undoubtedly the biggest name, as Arsenal’s youngest-ever Premier League player has joined Marseille on loan.

Nwaneri featured regularly under Arteta last season, but in an effort to get him more first-team minutes, he has moved to France, where he scored on his debut. Harrison Dudziak, Louie Copley and Will Sweet have also left on temporary deals.

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Defender Maldini Kacurri has permanently left the club. The 20-year-old youth centre-back moved to Grimsby Town in January, after spending some time last year with Morecambe.

In terms of other departures, Oleksandr Zinchenko has sealed a permanent move to Ajax. The defender’s loan spell at Nottingham Forest was cut short and he has now relocated to Amsterdam, marking the sixth deal Arsenal have finalised this month.

The Gunners didn’t part with a single penny last January and it’s anticipated they’ll have a similar transfer window this time around. Their summer expenditure was substantial and it’s unlikely the club will resort to panic buying on deadline day.

Reports suggest Arteta would only entertain additions who can enhance his first-team squad, and finding mid-season players who are eligible for the Champions League and available for a reasonable fee is challenging.

However, that hasn’t quelled the rumours circulating in the red half of north London. Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvaraz is a notable name linked with a move to Arsenal.

The former Manchester City forward departed England in 2024 for a staggering £82m and has thrived in Spain. This transfer was orchestrated by current Arsenal chief Andrea Berta, who spent 12 years at Atletico Madrid.

The Mail reports that a move for Alvarez is on Arsenal’s radar, though this chase is likely to be prioritised in the summer. This doesn’t rule out a January swoop, but any negotiations on deadline day would likely lay only the groundwork.

Arsenal’s deadline day is therefore one which the club will use to bide their time, it is assumed. More young players could depart on loan, though any big-money transfers will almost certainly wait until the summer window.

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