It’s been a January transfer window very much focused on outgoings for Arsenal.
There were hopes from fans that the club would add a striker to squad to help in the battle for Champions League qualification, and for much of the month the talk has been about a potential move for Dusan Vlahovic.
But Juventus signed the striker and the main story of the window for the Gunners is that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Arsenal career is over. It looked likely once he was exiled by Mikel Arteta, but few would have expected the striker to leave permanently in January.
Aubameyang has joined Barcelona, just one of a number of departures as the Gunners also let Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac leave. Whether Arsenal’s lack of incomings proves decisive in the race for the top four will become clear over the next few months.
Here’s a round-up on the main stories from Arsenal’s January business.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Certainly the biggest news of the window for the Gunners is that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined Barcelona on a free transfer. It’s an incredible turnaround, with Aubameyang the club captain just a couple of months ago.
While Arsenal will benefit significantly in terms of the striker’s wages, it does mean they have just Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah as options up front for the rest of the season. They are both out of contract in the summer.
Dusan Vlahovic
While an agreement between Arsenal and Fiorentina for Dusan Vlahovic seemed possible, it was less promising for the Gunners when it came to convincing the player and his agent.
The saga eventually came to an end when the 22-year-old joined Juventus for £63m and Arsenal left without their first-choice target.
Matt Turner
With Bernd Leno expected to leave Arsenal in the summer, the club have moved to agree deal in principle to sign USA goalkeeper Matt Turner.
He is due to arrive in north London in the summer, for a fee of around £5million up front for the 27-year-old.
Auston Trusty
Arsenal announced the deadline day signing of Colorado Rapids centre-back Auston Trusty, although he will remain with the MLS side until the summer.
The Gunners revealed the plan is to then send Trusty out loan in Europe for the 2022/23 season, so don’t expect to see him in an Arsenal shirt any time soon.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
The versatile Maitland-Niles finally got the move that has looked likely for many seasons.
He joined Roma on a loan until the end of the season, speaking about his excitement to play under Jose Mourinho. When he returns in the summer, Maitland-Niles will have just one year left on his contract.
Calum Chambers
Chambers’ contract was up at the end of the season, though Arsenal did have an option to extend.
However, the club declined to do so and the 27-year-old joined Aston Villa on a free transfer. It leaves Cedric Soares as the only back-up to Takehiro Tomiyasu
Sead Kolasinac
Kolasinac joined the likes of Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos in getting his contract at Arsenal mutually terminated.
The left-back has joined Marseille, bringing an end to nearly five years in north London.
Folarin Balogun
It’s been an Arsenal transfer window dominated by talk of strikers, though Folarin Balogun’s move to Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season was rather more low-key than other stories.
