Arsenal transfer news and rumours: January transfer window 2023

skysports.com

27 January 2023

Arsenal transfer news and rumours: January transfer window 2023

With the winter transfer window having opened on January 1, we round up Arsenal's done deals, plus the players linked with moves in and out of the Emirates.

Martinelli agrees new four-and-a-half year contract with Gunners

Gabriel Martinelli has agreed a new contract with Arsenal until the summer of 2027, according to The Athletic.

The Brazilian's current contract expires in the summer of 2024, but the report claims the 21-year-old has now agreed to fresh terms to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium with the draft deal in the process of being finalised.

The forward has starred for the Premier League leaders this season having scored seven goals in 26 appearances in all competitions.

Arsenal's £60m bid for Caicedo rejected by Brighton

Arsenal have had a £60m bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo rejected.

The south coast club insist Caicedo is not for sale in this January transfer window, but Arsenal remain interested and are deciding whether to go back in with an improved offer.

The bid was guaranteed a £60m fee. The biggest transfer fee Brighton have received in their history is the initial £57m plus add-ons from Chelsea for Marc Cucurella.

Chelsea are also interested in the midfielder - who Brighton bought for £4.5m from Independiente del Valle two years ago - but one source has told Sky Sports News a transfer to the Blues in January seems very unlikely as the clubs are "not in the same ball park" regarding valuations.

Last week, Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said on Caicedo's future: "the best solution is that he finishes the season with us and in the summer he changes teams".

Caicedo has two and a half years left on his contract - and is unlikely to sign a new one. As a result, Brighton will be doing due diligence on a potential succession plan.

Bamba agent cools Arsenal talk

The agent of Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Ibrahima Bamba has cooled talk of his client joining Arsenal before Tuesday's January transfer deadline.

Reports have strongly linked the 20-year-old with a move to Mikel Arteta's side and talk on social media heightened when his agent, Filipe Macedo Alves, was seen in London.

"It's true that I was in London, but I am just arriving from Germany, where I was watching Edmond Tapsoba's game," Alves told O Jogo. "Bamba is not the only player I work with.

"He [Bamba] has a player profile that is clearly of interest to many clubs, but today he is a Vitoria player and is only focused on Monday's game in Chaves.

"The market is open, but I'm not going to feed rumours."

Gunners must pay Zubimendi's £52.8m release clause

Real Sociedad have told Arsenal they will have to pay Martin Zubimendi's £52.8m release clause if they want to sign the midfielder this month, according to The Times.

Mikel Arteta wants to sign a central midfielder before the transfer window closes on Tuesday after Mohamed Elneny sustained a knee injury.

The report claims Sociedad are aware of Arsenal's interest in Zubimendi but the Spanish club are confident they will keep the 23-year-old, at least until the end of the season.

Fulham hoping to sign Cedric on loan

Fulham are looking into how they can make Shane Duffy's loan from Brighton a permanent deal in order to register Arsenal defender Cedric Soares as their second loan.

One option is to buy out the rest of his Brighton contract, which has six months left, and give him a short-term, permanent deal at Craven Cottage until the summer.

Duffy has been open to going elsewhere on loan for more game-time. He has hardly played since joining Fulham in the summer on loan until the end of the season, but Sky Sports News understands no concrete offers have yet been forthcoming.

Fulham need to solve the Duffy dilemma in order to complete the loan for Soares from Arsenal, with a deal agreed in principle between the clubs and the Portugal right-back.

What do Arsenal still want to do?

Arsenal have done plenty of work already in the window signing Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior.

They remain interested in the young Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda. Other clubs including Newcastle are also keen on him. Sky Sports News have been told he could move in the final week of the window.

Current Gunners right-back Cedric Soares is in talks over a move to Fulham. Arsenal have granted him permission to speak to them over personal terms.

It will then be up to the clubs to agree a deal for a player who has 18 months left on his Arsenal contract.

Arsenal have completed the signing of Poland defender Jakub Kiwior from Spezia in a deal worth £20m.

The 22-year-old, who has signed a four-and-a-half deal with the option of a further year at the Emirates Stadium, becomes the Premier League leaders' second signing this January after the arrival of Leandro Trossard from Brighton for £27m.

Are Arsenal favourites to sign Rice?

The Guardian says Declan Rice 'is leaning towards joining Arsenal' if, as expected, he departs West Ham this summer.

According to the newspaper, Rice favours joining Arsenal 'because of the prospect of playing for Mikel Arteta, who has drawn up plans for where the West Ham captain would fit into his team'.

'Arsenal interested in loan deal for Camavinga'

Arsenal are interested in a shock loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, according to the Evening Standard.

The report claims the Premier League leaders want to sign the Frenchman on loan until the end of the season although it unclear if Real would sanction a loan move for the 20-year-old, who has struggled for minutes this season.

Who have Arsenal been linked with?

Moises Caicedo - Arsenal have made a £60m bid for Brighton's Caicedo - but the offer is expected to be rejected, with the Seagulls' stance that the midfielder is not for sale unchanged (Sky Sports, January 27); Arsenal are considering a £75m move for Caicedo and could once again go head-to-head with Chelsea in the transfer market as the race intensifies for the Brighton midfielder. (Daily Telegraph, January 26).

Martin Zubimendi - Real Sociedad have told Arsenal they will have to pay Martin Zubimendi's £52.8m release clause if they want to sign the midfielder this month (The Times, January 26).

Ivan Fresneda - Arsenal have matched a £13m bid for Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda and the 18-year-old will decide what he wants to do in the next 24 hours; (Daily Mail, January 24); The 17-year-old Real Vallodolid right-back has interest from the England and Germany, and Arsenal are monitoring his situation (Sky Sports News, January 18)

Amadou Onana - Arsenal could enact the perfect revenge on Chelsea for signing Mykhailo Mudryk earlier this month by beating them in the race to sign Everton midfielder Amadou Onana. (Daily Express, January 24)

Eduardo Camavinga - Arsenal are interested in a surprise loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (The Evening Standard, January 20).

Declan Rice - Declan Rice has been talking up Arsenal to his West Ham team-mates since reports emerged that the Gunners are keen to bring him to the Emirates in the summer (Daily Express, January 21); Arsenal are considering a gamble of saving their transfer kitty in January in an effort to build up the funds to make a run at signing West Ham midfielder Rice in the summer (Daily Star, January 19); Arsenal have made Rice their top target this summer and are growing in confidence that they can beat Chelsea to the England midfielder's signature (The Times, January 17).

Dusan Vlahovic - Arsenal have turned their attention toVlahovic after missing out on Mykhailo Mudryk (The Sun, January 17).

Raphinha - Barcelona are open to selling Raphinha during the January transfer window, but only if the interested party agrees to pay £100m for his services, according to reports (Daily Mail, January 17); Raphinha has no interest in leaving Barcelona for a Premier League return with Arsenal, according to reports in Spain (Daily Express, January 16); Arsenal could have a second chance to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha after missing out on the Brazil star during the summer transfer window (Daily Express, January 12).

Facundo Torres - Arsenal target Torres has confirmed the Gunners made contact over a transfer as he awaits further talks (Evening Standard, January 17).

Victor Osimhen - Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle are set to battle it out to sign Napoli star Osimhen, according to reports (The Sun, January 17).

Yeremy Pino & Moussa Diaby - Arsenal have been left licking their wounds with Mykhailo Mudryk now set to join rivals Chelsea, and could return to summer targets Pino and Diaby of Villarreal and Bayer Leverkusen respectively (Sunday Express, January 15).

Yunus Musah - Chelsea, Inter Milan and Arsenal appear set to miss out on a January deal for Valencia midfielder Musah, who is unlikely to leave the Spanish club until the summer at the earliest (Mail on Sunday, January 15).

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - Newcastle look set to steal Milinkovic-Savic right from the hands of Arsenal (The Sun, January 14).

Alejandro Balde - Premier League title contenders Arsenal and Newcastle United have enquired about the possibility of landing one of Barcelona's brightest talents (Daily Mail, January 9).

Ismael Bennacer - AC Milan have handed Arsenal a transfer blow after agreeing a new long-term contract for Bennacer (The Sun, January 8).

Hirving Lozano - Arsenal and Newcastle are reportedly monitoring Napoli winger Lozano (The Sun, January 6).

Youri Tielemans - Arsenal have cooled their interest in Tielemans and are not expected to make a move for the Leicester playmaker this month (Daily Mirror, January 5); Premier League leaders Arsenal are in fresh talks over Leicester midfielder Tielemans (The Sun, December 28).

Elye Wahi - Arsenal have reportedly been following the progress of Montpellier striker Wahi (Daily Express, January 2).

Dusan Vlahovic - Arsenal are ready to battle Chelsea to sign striker Vlahovic next month (The Sun on Sunday, January 1).

Alexis Mac Allister - Brighton are confident World Cup winner Mac Allister will still be their player at the end of January, amid interest from Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United (The Athletic, January 2); Arsenal and Tottenham have been dealt a transfer blow as Brighton star Mac Allister prefers a move to Juventus, reports suggest (The Sun, December 30).

The players linked with an Arsenal exit

Cedric Soares - Fulham are in talks with Arsenal over the signing of right-back Cedric Soares (Sky Sports, January 20).

Arthur Okonkwo - Sturm Graz are in talks with Arsenal about the possibility of signing goalkeeper Okonkwo on loan (The Athletic, January 14).

Martin Odegaard - Arsenal could be at risk of losing captain Odegaard following reports that his early season form has caught the eye of Real Madrid (Daily Mirror, January 2).

What are the latest contract talks?

William Saliba - Saliba insists he is "so happy" at Arsenal as contract talks continue behind the scenes of an increasingly convincing Premier League title bid (The Independent, January 17); Arsenal have triggered the defender'scontract extension until June 2024 (Sun, December 31).

Bukayo Saka - Arsenal have triggered a clause in Saka's contract to keep him at the club until at least 2024, according to reports (The Sun, January 3).

Gabriel Martinelli - Talks between Arsenal and Martinelli about a new contract are in the "final stages", according to reports (The Sun, December 29); Arsenal are close to agreeing a new contract with the Brazil winger that will result in Martinelli becoming one of the club's top earners (Daily Mail, December 20).

Reiss Nelson - The 23-year-old winger is hoping to sign a new deal to extend his stay at Arsenal (The Sun, December 15).