Mikel Arteta has reportedly his sights set on snapping up a former Manchester City starlet, but time is running out for the Arsenal boss to get business done this month
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Arteta gives update on Arsenal’s transfer plans ahead of Deadline Day
Arsenal are facing a race against time to bring in much-needed reinforcements before the end of the month.
The Gunners started the month sat comfortably inside the top-four and, arguably, in the best shape they’ve been in for years.
But the mood has changed in north London over the past few weeks in what’s been a challenging period for Mikel Arteta.
It’s been well-documented that Arteta and the club were keen to snap up the elite striker they’ve been craving all season in the form of Dusan Vlahovic.
It now appears that lengthy transfer chase was all for nothing with the Serbian hotshot on the cusp of a big-money move to Juventus.
He’s not the only player that Arsenal have missed out on this month, either.
Join the debate! Do you think Arsenal should press ahead with a move for Luiz before the deadline? Let us know here.
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REUTERS)
But they can still go some way to salvaging their month by pursuing a deal for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz.
The Telegraph revealed on Thursday that Villa had rejected a £30million bid for Luiz from an unnamed Premier League team.
Although the bid wasn’t made by Arsenal, it was confirmed that the Londoners hold an interest in the Brazilian enforcer and that they could attempt to firm up that interest in the coming days.
Given that Arsenal’s tedious negotiations with Juventus over a loan deal for Arthur Melo show no sign of drawing to a close anytime soon, Arteta should turn his attention to prising Luiz away from Villa.
It remains to be seen if Villa would entertain selling the 23-year-old, but given that he is inside the final 18 months of his contract, January could represent their best chance of turning a huge profit on the £15m they paid Manchester City for his services back in the summer of 2019.
The Midlands outfit are also reportedly closing in on the £25m signing of Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentacur which could persuade them to cash in on Luiz.
For Arsenal, a move for Luiz makes perfect sense given Arteta’s desire to beef up his midfield this month.
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James Williamson – AMA)
The Spaniard knows Luiz from their time working together at Manchester City and has gone on to watch the midfielder thrive since his departure from the Etihad.
Time is of the essence for Arsenal right now and Luiz is now an established Premier League performer; he wouldn’t need time to adapt to the rigours of the English game. On paper, he’d slot in nicely alongside the ever-improving Thomas Partey to form the double-pivot that Arteta prefers at the heart of the Gunners midfield.
It feels more important than ever for Arsenal to finally get their transfer window started after a challenging few weeks.
Arsenal’s promising season has waned in recent weeks, with Arteta’s side still yet to win a game since they thrashed Norwich 5-0 on Boxing Day.
Injecting some fresh blood into the team over the coming days would go some way to reigniting their form ahead of a crunch period for their Champions League aspirations.
It would be an added bonus for Arteta and Arsenal right now if they can source players who are ready to come in and hit the ground running.
With so much on the line, Arsenal can’t afford to not do business this month, nor do they have the time for players to ease their way into life at the Emirates.
With that in mind, Arsenal may have stumbled upon the perfect January recruit in Luiz.
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