Arsenal were on the hunt for a midfielder on transfer deadline day, with football.london understanding that a deal for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz was actively being pursued on deadline day. But after three rejected bids by Villa, the Gunners were unable to secure a signing.
The need to strengthen in the midfield area was evident at the start of the transfer window. This was made even more clear when injuries suffered to Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny during the early weeks of the season had seriously weakened Mikel Arteta’s options in the middle of the park.
Due to Arsenal’s decision not to strengthen the midfield in the final weeks of the summer window, it has not meant that the transfer attention has been switched to January with the hopes that the Gunners will spend then. However, Edu can avoid this by utilising youngsters who have great potential to play in that position.
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According to the Football Insider, Luiz has told friends he is keen to join the London giants and would still like the deal to happen. Villa have held talks with him over a new contract but have yet to secure an agreement.
The midfielder’s deal is set to expire at the end of this season and he can discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from the new year, meaning Arsenal would still have to pay a fee to secure a January move with Aston Villa reportedly valuing him at £30million in the summer transfer window.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are two players whose place in the team are currently untouchable. Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohammed Elneny are the two backup players, but their levels in terms of quality do not compare with the two starters.
Instead of Edu splashing the cash in the January transfer window, the Gunners chief has the chance to be patient and wait for Charlie Patino to gain the necessary experience ahead of next season.
The 18-year-old showed the huge amount of quality he is equipped with during his senior debut against Sunderland last season, after capping off an impressive substitute cameo with his first senior goal.
This led to Mikel Arteta singing the praises for the youngster, saying: "He’s [Patino] a player that has a lot of personality. I’m delighted for him because he’s a kid that we like so much. To have his debut and score like that is something special."
Now on loan at Blackpool for the rest of the season, the promising youngster is gaining valuable experience and getting used to the physicality of first-team football which will prove crucial when returning to the Gunners ahead of next season.
Despite the prospect of signing Luiz in January, holding out until the end of the campaign could be a blessing in disguise for the Gunners.
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