Transfer deadline day is here – and Arsenal still have some work to do.
The Gunners are sitting pretty, five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, but they have a problem to address. A rib injury to Thomas Partey and a knee problem for Mohamed Elneny has left them short in central midfield and Mikel Arteta wants reinforcements.
"We need some more cover in midfield ideally if we can," he said before the 1-0 defeat by Manchester City on Friday. "In this market it’s pretty complicated to do that.” His words have proven to be spot-on over the past few days, with Brighton refusing to sell Moises Caicedo.
The Seagulls rejected Arsenal’s second bid, worth £70million, and now just have a matter of hours to hold out. Can Arsenal get a deal for a midfielder over the line? Mirror Football takes a look at the latest pieces of gossip.
Last-gasp Caicedo bid considered
Arsenal are down, but they may not be out. The Gunners have now made two bids for Caicedo. The first was worth £60m in total, the second £70m. Both have been pushed back across the table by Brighton, who insist the Ecuador international is not for sale at any price.
But Arsenal are not giving up just yet. The Evening Standard says they are weighing up whether to make a third and final offer on deadline day. They would have to break their transfer record of the £72m they paid Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019 to land him.
The report says that Arsenal have been buoyed by the words of Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi after the 2-1 win over Liverpool on Sunday. “I would like him to finish the season with us. But we are ready to go forward without him,” he told reporters.
“I think we need some players in some positions. I spoke a lot with [Brighton chairman] Tony [Bloom], he knows very well my opinion. We are a good team but we can improve from the transfer window.”
Brighton signed midfielder Yasin Ayari from Swedish side AIK on Monday, perhaps opening up the possibility of Caicedo’s departure.
HAVE YOUR SAY! What should Arsenal do - push for Moises Caicedo, or go for someone else? Comment below.
Tielemans an alternative
All of Arsenal’s eggs might not be in Caicedo’s basket today, though. There are potential alternatives, with Sheffield United’s Sander Berge, Real Sociedad Martin Zubimendi and Vitoria Guimaraes’ Ibrahima Bamba all on Arsenal’s radar.
But the most likely Caicedo alternative may well be a familiar one: Youri Tielemans. Arsenal were strongly linked with a move for the Belgium international in the summer before backing off.
Tielemans’ contract expires on June 30 and talkSPORT reports that Leicester might be tempted to cash in on the midfielder. If they can find a replacement, then Arsenal could finally get their man.
Fresneda deal off
One player who won’t be arriving in north London today is Ivan Fresneda, after the Real Valladolid defender confirmed he will be staying in Spain this month.
Fresneda had been chased by Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle over the past few weeks. The Spain under-19 international has won lots of plaudits for his recent performances and looked set for a transfer.
But he moved to reassure Valladolid fans on the weekend. "No, I’m not leaving, calm down," he said after being left out of the squad to face Valencia on Sunday.
