The summer transfer window may have ended on a disappointing note for Arsenal following the unsuccessful pursuit of Douglas Luiz, however, hopes of landing a new midfielder are not entirely dead in the water.
The club's plan changed late on in the window after Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey both sustained injuries. Mikel Arteta confirmed that Elneny would be out of action for "months", while Partey has since returned to training this week. Oleksandr Zinchenko, however, is the latest player to find himself in the treatment room after the Ukrainian Football Association confirmed that he is set to be unavailable for around two weeks due to a calf injury picked up in Arsenal training.
Palmeiras' Danilo was considered in the remaining hours of the window, though football.london understands a deal was always going to be difficult to complete due to the Brazilian side's reluctance to sell. Attention then turned towards Aston Villa's Luiz, who is another long-term target, but three rejected bids on deadline day saw Arsenal run out of time.
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Despite a frustrating conclusion to what had been a positive summer overall, Arteta and technical director Edu have one last opportunity to strengthen the squad. That's because the Gunners are reportedly considering whether or not to dip into the free agent market.
Xeka is the player being looked at according to 90min, who claim that the Gunners are exploring their options after he was offered to the club. Xeka is a free agent after leaving Lille at the end of last season, where he recently won a French title. The 27-year-old offers plenty of experience after making 147 appearances in Ligue 1, the Champions League and the Europa League, a competition Arsenal find themselves back in after a short absence.
Comfortable with both feet and able to operate as either a No.8 or No.6, the player is more than capable of filling the voids that can often be left by Partey and Elneny, in particular. Being from Portugal too, Xeka will fit in nicely with the ever-growing group of Portuguese-speaking players at the club.
Foot Mercato say that Stade Rennais are also looking to bring in Xeka following a severe injury to their midfielder, Baptiste Santamaria. Whether Arsenal decide to take action now or wait until January remains to be seen, and although it is unlikely that free agents will be explored to a serious extent, Xeka's availability provides a low-risk yet solid short-term option that can soften Arteta's midfield woes.
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