Arsenal need a strong January to stay in title contention, and that applies to what they do off the pitch as well as on it.
The Gunners are second in the Premier League after nineteen games, six points behind leaders Liverpool. However, Arne Slot's side have played one match less and remain in pole position to end the campaign as champions.
Mikel Arteta added a number of players to Arsenal's ranks this summer, including Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori who joined for a significant fee. With Bukayo Saka and Ben White among the injured, more reinforcements may be needed.
There could be some more exits too, as Arteta prepares to streamline his squad for the second half of the season. Here are the latest lines from Mirror Football from across North London.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has played down suggestions that a major spending spree could be on the cards. However, after making a late move for Raheem Sterling at the end of the summer, he has not ruled out doing business.
“I don't know. The focus is on the players we have,” he said on Friday. “If there is someone on the market that we can afford and we believe he will have a real impact on the team, then we should always be open to that possibility.
“Right now the focus is on what we have. That market is much more limited than the one in the summer.”
According to BBC Sport, Celtic are in talks with Kieran Tierney over a possible pre-contract agreement. The Scottish left-back left the Glasgow club for Arsenal in 2019, but it seems unlikely he will stay at the Emirates Stadium beyond this season.
Tierney was close to a summer exit after spending last season on loan at Real Sociedad. However, an injury suffered while on international duty at Euro 2024 put an end to that.
The defender made his first appearance for Arsenal in more than 500 days when he played against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup this season. It may not be the start of a redemption arc, however, and the Gunners' first summer exit could be completed sooner rather than later.
Thomas Partey and Jorginho are in the final few months of their contracts and are free to talk to potential suitors abroad. Both could eventually extend their stay in North London, but the Arsenal manager was non-committal towards the pair.
“It's a close communication with them, what their idea is, what they want to do and what their intentions are,” Arteta told reporters. He indicated that a departure before the contract was possible, but did not doubt his team's commitment to the cause.
“All the players who are here want to concentrate on performing and influencing the team. If something happens there, we will assess it,” Arteta added.
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