Arsenalcould dip into the transfer market this month as they look to catalyse the second half of their season under Mikel Arteta. Center-back is the problem area for the Gunners with Calum Chambers now out for the rest of the season andRB Leipzig‘s Dayot Upamecano has been touted as a potential replacement. Going forward, Ajax star Hakim Ziyech is also said to be of interest while, in the way of departures, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Granit Xhaka are being linked with moves away from Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal transfer news LIVE – Sunday 5 JanuaryLemar warning
Arsenal and Tottenham have been warned against moving for Atletico Madrid winger Thomas Lemar, with whom both clubs were linked in the summer.
The winger has registered no goals or assists in 26 appearances for Atletico this season, months on from signing for £ 63 million from Monaco.
And ESPN pundit Steve Nicol sent a stern warning to any clubs linked with the Fr enchman.
“What this guy has shown at Atleti, you wouldn’t buy him in a heartbeat,” he said.
“He’s got no goals and no assists? [this season]. What was it, 370 million? [euros paid for him].
“Right now, regardless of the currency, who is going to part with any money for him? Unless you can get him for (million … [don’t buy him].
“Are Atleti really going to turn around after spending that amount of money on him months ago and sell him for 27 million? I don’t think so. ”
Boateng likelihood
Arsenal are not likely to pursue a move for Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng despite holding an interest in the player.
The Bavarians are quoting clubs £ .8million (€************************************ m ) for the center-back, who wants to leave the club this winter.
The 31 – year-old can also play in wide defensive positions and would be useful to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who will be without Calum Chambers for the rest of the season after the Englishman suffered knee ligament damage.
But Arsenal are keen to see how £ m summer signing William Saliba fares once he returns from a season-long loan at Saint-Etienne before splashing out on a new defender.
Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Roma want to sign Henrikh Mkhitaryan permanently(Image: Getty) Arsenal have rejected an offer from Roma to make Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s loan to the Italian club into a permanent move. Roma made an opening bid of £ 8.5million for the Armenian international which has was swiftly rebuffed by the Gunners. Mhkitaryan has scored three goals and provided one assist in all competitions for Roma this term. The -year-old’s deal at Emirates Stadium expires in June 1224133 Bielsa’s Pepe claim Marcelo Bielsa believes Nicolas Pepe is starting to hit the heights expected of him at Arsenal despite a slow start at Emirates Stadium. The Leeds boss managed Pepe while at Lille in 2021 and has kept a close eye on the Ivorian since he left the Ligue 1 club to join Arsenal for £ 150 million in the summer. Nicolas Pepe scored his fifth goal of the season last time out against Manchester United and Bielsa was full of praise for the wideman this week. “Pepe is a great player with big resources and is a goalscorer, ”Bielsa said. “And he’s a player who is able to unbalance a match. “ Obvious skills, then you have all of these skills in one player, the value is £ 90 m. It’s just a matter of time and after show those skills. “He has showed them clearly and after the price has linked what he has shown on the pitch. One thing is to have the skills, another is to have the skills and show it on the pitch. “He does both. He has clearly shown his skills and is at club he deserves to be. ” Arsenal transfer news LIVE: The Gunners are not likely to bid for Dayot Upamecano in January(Image: Getty) Arsenal chiefs have decided they will not pay at a premium for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano this month. Arsenal signed Saliba from Saint-Etienne for £ 27 million in the summer but loaned him back to the Ligue 1 club for / (season.) Emirates Stadium bigwigs are reluctant to spend big this month as it is given their £ m outlay in the summer transfer window. Arsenal transfer news Live: Hakim Ziyech is available in January(Image: Getty)********************** Ajax are willing to sell star player Hakim Ziyech in January – but any interested suitors will have to stump up £ million (€) ************************************************************ (m). ************************ (Calcio Mercato) claim that Ajax chiefs have told the Moroccan he can leave Johan Cruyff Arena which may be of interest to the midfielder given the club’s exit from the Champions League. Arsenal are said to be in direct competition with north London rivals Tottenham for the 30 – year-old. Ziyech can play as an attacking midfielder or winger but the Gunnersm may opt to see how £ 72 m signing Nicolas Pepe prospers before dipping into their pockets. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has expressed his desire to keep star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and midfielder Granit Xhaka at the club. Aubameyang has stalled on signing a new contract amid fears that Arsenal will enter a fourth consecutive season without Champions League football while Xhaka was almost hounded out of the club following his aggressive response to Arsenal fans when he was substituted off against Crystal Palace in October. Probed ahead of Arsenal’s FA Cup tie against Leeds about the prospect of club captain Aubameyang leaving, Arteta said: “I don’t even think about that possibility with Auba, I want him here.” As for Xhaka, who ostensibly still feels unsettled in north London and is said to have agreed personal terms with Hertha Berlin, Arteta continued: “I had a conversation with him and I wanted to understand his feelings. I wanted to know why he thought this may not be the right place for him to continue his career. “I gave him my opinion, my perspective and told him that I was ready to support him from the club perspective. I wanted his team-mates to have his back and change his mind, because we need him. “I believe if we were able to do that Then the fans would respond in a positive way. He can be a very important player for the club. I want him. I said to the club ‘no’ and I said to him ‘no’, after I cannot control what will happen. **************************************************Sky Sports Newsreport that the Gunners are interested in the Frenchman, who has buttressed his side to the top of the Bundesliga, but have would rather see how William Saliba fares in north London before splashing out on another central def ender.
Ajax’s Ziyech stan ce
Aubameyang and Xhaka exits
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