Arsenal are desperate to sign a midfielder, but time is ticking away before the January transfer window closes at 11pm on Tuesday night.
The Gunners have already signed Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior this month and still harbour hopes of landing Moises Caicedo. But the chances of a blockbuster deal for the Brighton midfielder are fading, with two bids rejected by the Seagulls.
The second offer was worth £70million, meaning any last-minute third bid would be in club-record territory, eclipsing the £72m paid to Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019. That is a serious outlay, especially in the pressurised moments at the end of a transfer window.
Arsenal ’s need for a central midfielder is not disputed. Their lack of depth in the position was obvious in the 1-0 defeat against Manchester City on Friday when Thomas Partey was taken off at half-time with a rib injury. With Mohamed Elneny also out with a knee injury, it fell on Albert Sambi Lokonga to play.
"We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can," Arteta said before the Man City game. "In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that.” He’s not wrong.
But if Caicedo is unavailable – and it certainly looks like Brighton will hold firm – then who can Arsenal target? They hold an interest in West Ham star Declan Rice, but that pursuit won’t start until the summer. Real Madrid won’t consider letting Eduardo Camavinga leave.
Thankfully, there are other options out there for Arsenal. Here Mirror Football takes a look at five Caicedo alternatives.
Martin Zubimendi
The Real Sociedad star has been attracting plenty of attention recently, with Barcelona eyeing him up as a possible successor to Sergio Busquets in their midfield.
Arsenal have also been strongly linked, but Sociedad are protected by the £52.8m release clause in Zubrimendi’s contract. The 23-year-old has already made 122 appearances for the Spanish side and is clearly viewed as a star of the future.
Amadou Onana
Onana only joined Everton in the summer, with a £33m move taking him to the Premier League from Lille. But the Belgium international is already being linked with a move away from the struggling Toffees.
Arsenal have been credited with interest in Onana. The 21-year-old has played in 18 of Everton’s 20 Premier League matches and it seems unlikely that Everton would sanction the departure of one of their key players while battling relegation – especially after banking £45m by letting Anthony Gordon join Newcastle on Sunday.
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Sander Berge
Berge is not a new name in Arsenal transfer columns. The Sheffield United midfielder was strongly linked with the Gunners back in the summer of 2021 – and he could be back on the cards once again.
Newcastle are keen on signing the 24-year-old, with Jonjo Shelvey potentially off to Nottingham Forest. Berge only has 18 months left on his Blades contract and might be receptive to Arsenal’s interest, which represents a quicker way back to the Premier League than Championship promotion.
Ibrahima Bamba
A much less well-known name. But reports in Portugal stated last week that the Vitoria Guimaraes defensive midfielder was on Arsenal’s radar.
The 20-year-old is positionally versatile and would add depth to the squad. His current contract runs until the summer of 2026, meaning the Gunners will have to activate the midfielder's £26.3m release clause to land him.
Youri Tielemans
Arsenal have a longstanding interest in Tielemans, having courted the Leicester midfielder over the summer. His contract will expire in June, meaning the speculation could now be finally about to yield a transfer.
Tielemans is understood to be keen on a move to north London, but the Foxes may drag their feet, considering they are in a relegation battle. Leicester may hold onto the 25-year-old and then lose him for free in July.
