ARSENAL have been dealt a blow in their hunt for Karim Benzema as reports suggest that footballing icon will stay at Al-Ittihad this January.
Meanwhile, the Gunners and Aston Villa have reached an agreement that brings youngster Lino Sousa from the Emirates to Villa Park.
And Arsenal will receive a boost in their pursuit of Sergi Roberto, with the Spaniard expected to leave Barcelona at the end of the season.
Arsenal target Benjamin Sesko can be had for £43m this summer.
The striker is being watched by Mikel Arteta after impressing at RB Leipzig.
And he will be allowed to leave the Germans if his clause is respected.
Chelsea are said to be interested in Sesko.
Thomas Frank has categorically settled until the deadline for Brentford striker and Arsenal target Ivan Toney.
He said: “I think it’s unlikely that anything will happen (regarding our goals). Five percent probability.
“I said before the Tottenham game that if we need a player now and it can’t happen, it will be this summer.
“It will be breaking news on Sky. Ivan Toney will stay. “
Arsenal have been following Ivory Coast’s Ousmane Diomande in Afcon.
The Gunners saw a £30m bid through Sporting Lisbon for the defender rejected last summer.
But Mikel Arteta remains keen on a move.
And Arsenal’s scouts are keeping a close eye on him throughout the tournament.
It is possible that winger Marquinhos will still leave Arsenal today.
The Brazilian has already played for Norwich and Nantes.
And Corinthians are in talks to sign him until the summer.
But his window remains open until March, and Marquinhos may also stay put for the time being.
Arsenal youngster Bradley Ibrahim is ready to sign for Hertha Berlin.
Fabrizio Romano said: “Hertha Berlin have reached an agreement to sign Bradley Ibrahim from Arsenal.
“Playing in Berlin with agent Alan Redmond of Roc Nation.
“Exclusive details: contract until 2027. Arsenal will have the corresponding rights. Healthy Sale Clause Add-Ons for Appearances. “
Brazilian midfielder Raphael Veiga admits he is fit to leave Palmeiras for Arsenal.
He said: “I want to play in Europe, but I’m also very satisfied to play for Palmeiras.
“I like a lot of teams in Europe. Barcelona, Madrid, City, Arsenal, and others like Manchester United… It’s difficult to say just one.
“There are some impressive pieces of equipment and they all have special and interesting features. “
Arsenal will remain Takehiro Tomiyasu.
This after Japan reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup.
They will face Iran in tomorrow’s mega showdown.
And if Japan win, Arsenal won’t be seeing Tomiyasu again for quite some time.
Arsenal sideline Alex Runarsson has reportedly returned to the club after Cardiff ended his loan.
The goalkeeper signed a one-year contract with the Bluebirds in August.
But he was a backup to No. 1 Jak Alnwick in the Welsh capital and was limited to just six league appearances.
As a result, Cardiff ended Runarsson’s loan and he returned to Arsenal, according to The Telegraph.
Mario Melchiot believes Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins is precisely the type of player Arsenal want in attack.
He told Ladbrokes Fanzone: “Top teams might have overlooked Watkins in the past because there’s always this obsession with signing players who come in and hit the ground running immediately, whereas it’s taken Watkins a bit of time to really find his feet.
“But if you take a look at three quality groups from the Premier League – Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – and ask what they all want at the moment, the answer is the same: a striker.
“A goalscorer. And Ollie Watkins may be just that. “
Former Arsenal midfielder Luke Freeman has joined National League side Barnet.
The 31-year-old had been a free agent since leaving Luton in August.
Freeman said: “I’m very pleased (to be here), I’ve been here for a few weeks, very pleased to point on the dotted line.
“The most important thing is to be part of that path to promotion, so if I can in some way, that’s what I’m here for. “
Arteta always needed to sell first in order to bring in some big names.
Jakub Kiwior, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Emile Smith Rowe, Aaron Ramsdale and Cedric Soares have all been touted as potential fundraising assets.
The right offer never came, so Arteta has to work with what he has in the coming months as they battle Manchester City and Liverpool.
By keeping their powder dry this month, Arsenal will most likely see an expansion this summer. Until then, Arteta will have to paint his training magic. . .
It promised to be a great window for Arsenal, but the frustrating weeks convinced boss Mikel Arteta to keep going and not twist it.
All eyes were on the signing of a new No. 9, and Ivan Toney was the missing piece in the puzzle of the Gunners’ bid to get a first Prem name in 20 years.
However, Brentford’s valuation of their star striker at between £80m and £100m has blown up those plans, especially with Arsenal wary of flirting with FFP limits.
The loan of a defender capable of playing either as a full-back or centre-back has also been considered, with Jurrien Timber injured and Takehiro Tomiyasu in the Asian Cup with Japan, but no progress has been made on that front either.
Chuba Akpom hopes to return to England today.
The former Arsenal youngster is currently at Ajax.
But he had a torrid time in Holland.
And a number of Premier League clubs are ready to pounce before the deadline.
Aston Villa are set to sign Arsenal Lino Sousa.
The former West Brom prodigy is keen on a return to the Midlands.
And Arsenal have accepted an offer from Villa to sign the 19-year-old.
Sousa also had offers from Juventus, Galatasaray and Rangers.
Karim Benzema will leave Saudi Arabia today.
The Al-Ittihad striker had been hoping for a return to Europe.
Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea were all loaned out.
But the Athletic claims Benzema is going nowhere and will remain in the Middle East.
Ian Wright believes Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been allowed to see their argument on the pitch.
He told the Stick To Football Podcast from Sky Bet: “I just saw it as it happened, I was like, ‘What’s happening with them two?’, but he (White) went over and he pointed, he said something, and Zinchenko wasn’t happy with it.
“Zinchenko is a very emotional guy. What I like about Ben White is, he’s the player who’s got that look – he will tell you, and he probably told him, then Mikel [Arteta] came on.
“I would have liked you to let them play [on the field]; It’s not like they’re passing by to fight. You go into the locker room and you take care of it there, but you see the coach come out and talk. “At that point I said, “[fix it in the locker room]. “
Arsenal have accepted an offer for Under-23 midfielder Bradley Ibrahim from Bundesliga giants Hertha Berlin.
Fabrizio Romano said: “Hertha Berlin have reached a permanent agreement to sign Bradley Ibrahim from Arsenal.
“Player in Berlin with agent Alan Redmond from Roc Nation.
“Exclusive details: Contract until 2027. Arsenal will have the corresponding rights. Healthy Sale Clause Appearance Complements”.
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Chuba Akpom is reportedly fit to return to English football soon.
The former Arsenal prospect joined Ajax in the summer in a £10. 5m deal from Middlesbrough.
However, it is possible that the club will allow him to return to England.
According to The Telegraph, a number of Premier League clubs are looking at making a late move for the striker.
It has been claimed that Arsenal have accepted a much-loved teenager, Bradley Ibrahim.
The Gunners have reportedly accepted an offer for the Under-23 midfielder from Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claims the German is close to signing the 19-year-old for an undisclosed fee.
Ibrahim is said to be in Berlin with his agent to clarify the main points of their deal, which would give Arsenal the chance to buy him back in the coming years.
Aston Villa have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Arsenal defender Lino Sousa.
He has been included in the Gunners’ first team in several events and has appeared in the EFL Trophy for the club’s under-23 team.
However, former Gunners boss Unai Emery won the race to sign for Villa, to move guru Fabrizio Romano.
Sousa is expected to finalize a loan to Plymouth on the championship side soon.
Swansea have agreed to sign Charles Sagoe Jr on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the agreement will be finalized on the same day that the deadline expires.
The report adds that relations between the clubs since the summer loan of Charlie Patiño have helped speed up the process.
Sagoe Jr joined the Gunners from Fulham in 2015 and made his debut in the Carabao Cup back in September.
Lino Sousa is now close to completing his move from Arsenal to Aston Villa.
The 19-year-old full-back has penned a four-and-a-half-year deal with Villa through to the summer of 2028.
An immediate loan to Plymouth is expected to be finalised until the end of the season.
Despite appearing in the Gunners’ first team, Sousa has been on the bench in the league and in the FA Cup.
Brazilian foreigner Raphael Veiga needs to sign for Arsenal.
The 28-year-old Palmeiras midfielder has been linked with a move to Europe in recent months.
Speaking to AS, Veiga highlighted the Gunners as one of the clubs he would like to join and explained: “I have a preference for playing in Europe, but I am also very satisfied to play for Palmeiras.
“I like a lot of people in Europe: Barcelona, Madrid, City, Arsenal and others like Manchester United. . . It’s hard to say just one.
“There are some impressive pieces of equipment and they all have special and interesting features. “
Joe Cole scoffed at the suggestion that Arsenal are the more sensible team.
On Rio Ferdinand’s FIVE podcast, the former Chelsea midfielder was reminded that in the past he had claimed that the Gunners were not “the first draw”.
He replied, “That’s the case! How can they be among the first if they haven’t won anything?”
Arsenal have not had a league name since 2004, and their FA Cup triumph in 2020 was the silver medal of Mikel Arteta’s tenure.
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