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Arsenal will look to upgrade their squad when the transfer window reopens in January. Manager Mikel Arteta oversaw a fruitful summer but is looking for more reinforcements to sustain his team's Premier League challenge.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are worried that the Gunners have already signed Youri Tielemans. Elsewhere, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Gabriel Jesus.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on December 6, 2022:
Barcelona worried Arsenal have already completed Youri Tielemans signing
Barcelona are worried that Arsenal have already secured the signature of Youri Tielemans, according to Marca via Caught Offside. The Belgian midfielder has been quite impressive for Leicester City recently but is in the final year of his contract with the Foxes. The Premier League side want him to stay, but the 25-year-old is yet to commit himself to the club.
The Gunners have been monitoring Tielemans for a while and are expected to secure his signature in 2023. Barcelona are also in the hunt for the Belgian as they look to shore up their midfield. However, the Blaugrana are now worried that the London giants have already stolen a march on them and signed the 25-year-old.
Tielemans has appeared 17 times across competitions for the Foxes this season, registering three goals and an assist. He was part of the Belgium team that failed to reach the knockouts of the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Fabrizio Romano provides Gabriel Jesus update
Fabrizio Romano has said that Gabriel Jesus is still waiting to learn the extent of his injury.
The Brazilian picked up a knock at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is now ruled out for the rest of the tournament. The 25-year-old could be looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which will be a big blow for Arsenal.
Jesus has been outstanding for the Gunners since arriving this summer from Manchester City. He has helped the north London side go top of the Premier League, so his absence could hurt the team in their title quest.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano also said that Arsenal are not planning to recall Florian Balogun just yet to mitigate Jesus' absence.
"Gabriel Jesus and those close to him are still waiting for official communication on the injury; we need to wait for details. At the moment, there are no contacts with Reims or with Balogun’s agents to recall him; we will see if it changes, but this is not the case now,” wrote Romano.
Jesus has appeared 20 times across competitions for the Gunners this season, scoring five goals and setting up seven more.
Mikel Arteta has high hopes for Mykhaylo Mudryk
Mikel Arteta is convinced that he can mould Mykhaylo Mudryk into a world beater, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The Ukrainian is earning rave reviews with his exploits for Shakhtar Donetsk and is a target for Arsenal ahead of January. The Gunners have been on the trail of the 21-year-old for a while and want to bring him to the Emirates at the turn of the year.
Arteta is putting together a young and talented squad, and Mudryk fits the bill. Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs said that the Spanish manager wants to help Mudryk become a more versatile player.
"Arteta feels that he (Mudryk) can be developed into a more versatile player. At the moment, he’s lightning quick; he’s got a good eye for goal; he weighs in with assists; he makes the pitch as big as possible; he starts on the left-hand side, and he cuts in," said Jacobs.
Jacobs reckons Mudryk could become one of the best in the world at his position.
“I think Mikel Arteta thinks that he can spend more time during games in central areas, and even under select game management situations, switch sides as well. As he adds those strings to his bow, he could live up to his reputation as one of the best players in that position. So, it’s one to watch from Arsenal’s point of view," said Jacobs.
Mudryk has ten goals and eight assists in 18 games across competitions this season.
