Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Michael Gowler

Arsenal 'snubbed PSG swap deal' during Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang transfer talks

Arsenal reportedly snubbed a swap deal with Paris Saint-Germain that would have seen Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mauro Icardi trade places in the January transfer window.

The Gunners were expected to bolster their forward line last month, given the uncertainty surrounding a number of their striking options.

Mikel Arteta was desperate to offload Aubameyang following a well-documented fallout while Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are both set to become free agents when their contacts expire in the summer.

A deal was eventually struck with Barcelona over Aubameyang, however, Arsenal failed to recruit any forward replacements.

It now appears that one high-profile striker was offered to the North London outfit last month, but they snubbed a potential deal which would have seen the Gabonese attacker head the other way.

According to The Athletic, the Gunners had the opportunity to explore a potential exchange with PSG which could have seen Icardi join the ranks at the Emirates.

The offer is believed to be one of a number of various possibilities which came Arsenal's way last month, however the club were said to be keen on only reaching agreements over their specific targets.

The Gunners had reportedly earmarked an exclusive list of striking candidates and, heading into the window, were of the mindset that they would stick with their existing options should their preferred targets be deemed unavailable.

Dusan Vlahovic, Alexander Isak and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were three names heavily linked with a January move to the Emirates, while former Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata was another mentioned late on in the window.

Serbian striker Vlahovic, formerly of Fiorentina, was widely considered to have been identified as the club's number one target, however he snubbed a Premier League move in favour of joining Juventus.

Arsenal eventually gave up on their pursuit of a new striker last month and allowed Aubameyang to leave despite a lack of incomings.

HAVE YOUR SAY ! Would Mauro Icardi have been a good signing for Arsenal? Join the discussion in the comments section .

Icardi boasts a prolific record from his time in both Italy and France, however it appears he was clearly a player the Gunners were not overly enamoured by.

The Argentine has struck 38 goals in 87 appearances since joining PSG from Inter Milan in 2019, initially on loan, but has found regular game-time in the French capital hard to come by.

The Ligue 1 giants possess a star-studded squad and Icardi has often found himself behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in the Paris pecking order.

Prior to his PSG move, the 28-year-old hit 124 goals in 219 appearances for Inter having broken through at fellow Serie A side Sampdoria.

Arsenal's failure to secure a new forward in January means the club have been left to battle it out for a Champions League qualification spot with a mere two recognised strikers among their ranks.

Given the lack of incomings in attack and the uncertainty surrounding Lacazette and Nketiah, the Gunners face a significant summer ahead.

Pick up tomorrow's Daily Mirror and get a FREE £2 Shop Bet with William Hill which can be used on any of the sport action!

18 + Terms apply. See tomorrow's paper for your voucher.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.