Wirtz on Gunners radar; Thomas Partey twist

Football FanCast brings you the latest Arsenal transfer round-up as the January window continues to draw closer.

Despite just signing four players this summer, the Gunners have splashed the cash to do so, dramatically strengthening their squad in the process. The last player to join the North Londoners this summer was goalkeeper David Raya, who made the move from west London side Brentford.

While Edu and co have certainly been busy in welcoming players to the club, they have also been just as – if not more – busy shipping off those deemed surplus to requirements. So what could be in store for the Gunners in the new year?

Who did Arsenal sign this summer?

The big transfer news from the Emirates Stadium this summer was the Gunners’ club-record deal to sign Declan Rice from West Ham for £105m.

Rice, 24, joined the north Londoners fresh off winning the Europa Conference League with the Hammers and followed the signings of Kai Havertz from fellow city rivals Chelsea and Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

However, perhaps the most surprising signing of them all was that of David Raya from Brentford. That’s not because the Spaniard isn’t up to the level; if anything, it’s quite the opposite.

Raya has proven himself an extremely talented goalkeeper in the Premier League. He has been touted with moves to sides like Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich to become the starting number one for those sides. Yet, here he is, signing on to fight for his place with the already-settled Aaron Ramsdale.

And he appears to have been successful in that quest.

Who have Arsenal sold this summer?

There have been plenty of outgoings in N5 over the past few months – the most notable being the departure of Granit Xhaka, who had a dazzling campaign as a key member of Mikel Arteta’s side and their title tilt.

However, while the Swiss international is probably the most significant exit in terms of impact on the team, it is young American Folarin Balogun who takes the title as the most expensive departure. The New York-born forward joined Ligue 1 side Monaco in a deal worth £35m – the Gunners’ most expensive sale ever – marking the end of his long association with the club.

The remaining exits largely concern those on the fringes, with American duo Matt Turner and Auston Trusty leaving for top-flight outfits Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United respectively, with the latter doing so without making a senior Gunners appearance.

Elsewhere, Kieran Tierney’s loan move to Real Sociedad is another high-profile move, with the full-back’s first-team opportunities becoming increasingly limited at the Emirates.

Fellow defender Rob Holding followed him out the door on Deadline Day after sealing a permanent move to Crystal Palace.

Who could Arsenal sign in January?

Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen: According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal are interested in Bayer Leverkusen’s German wonderkid, Florian Wirtz.

The publication has revealed that the Gunners are among several Premier League sides monitoring the young German, and while it is cross-city rivals Chelsea who are the most active regarding the youngster, the Gunners have still sent scouts to watch him in Germany.

Wirtz has been viewed as one to watch for a few years now, but he has reached another level this term, scoring two goals and providing four assists in just eight Bundesliga starts and playing a vital role in the team’s fantastic beginning to the season, which sees them currently top of the table.

There is little talk of a transfer fee at the moment, but with four years left on his deal and the interest around him, we can only imagine how expensive it will be to sign him.

That said, if he lives up to the potential people believe he has, he’ll be worth every penny.

Santiago Gimenez – Feyenoord: According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are ‘keen’ on signing Mexico international and Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez.

While English fans might not know much about the 22-year-old, he has been tearing it up in the Netherlands since his arrival last season. In 52 appearances across all competitions, the Mexican has scored a whopping 35 goals and provided five assists, all while maintaining an average rating of 7.10, per WhoScored. With numbers like that, it is unsurprising that Arsenal are interested.

Unfortunately, these numbers have also attracted the attention of other top teams, and the initial report names Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea as potential rivals for the player’s signature.

This competition will likely be the most significant barrier to getting this deal done, as according to the report, a fee of just €40m (£34.8m) would be enough to convince the Dutch side to sell, which would place the player firmly within Arsenal’s financial reach.

Ollie Watkins: Reports from Spain (via Football365) have revealed that Aston Villa forward and England international Ollie Watkins is now a primary target for Arsenal in the January transfer window.

The Gunners are aware that the deal would likely be expensive following the new contract signed by the player only last week, but they are still keen to tempt the Villans into selling in January.

The former Exeter City ace has been in fine form so far this season and has already scored five goals and provided five assists in just ten Premier League games, per WhoScored.

This would likely cost an arm and a leg to get done, but it would undeniably strengthen Arsenal as well.

Andre: Reports from Brazil (via London World) have revealed that Arsenal are ‘interested’ in Brazilian youngster and Fluminense star Andre.

The 22-year-old has been a stand-out performer for the Serie A side in recent years and has now landed on the radars of several major European clubs. The report reveals that Arsenal’s most significant difficulty with getting this deal over the line will likely be Liverpool’s sincere interest.

Not much has been said on the potential price of a deal were Arsenal to make an official approach, but with reports that Liverpool had a £26m offer rejected in the summer, it looks like any move would cost a pretty penny.

However, it looks like the youngster might be well worth it based on his performances of late.

Despite being just 22 years old, the defensive midfielder has made 24 starts in the league this year, maintained a passing accuracy of 94.6%, won one Man-of-the-Math award and averaged a match rating of 6.83, per WhoScored.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, he has also earned two senior caps with the national side and looks set to earn a lot more as he only improves from here.

Arthur Vermeeren – Royal Antwerp: Mikel Arteta is keen to make further changes to his midfield when January rolls around according to a report from TEAMtalk.

18-year-old Vermeeren is the player on the Spaniard’s radar having established himself as a regular last season for Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona are amongst the other clubs interested in the midfielder, so Arsenal wouldn’t be unopposed in their pursuit, but they’d hope that Arteta’s track record with younger players could come to the fore.

Vermeeren would be brought in to accompany Declan Rice in the middle of the park, with the Englishman’s position being shifted as a result.

West Ham United fans will be all too familiar with Rice’s ability to carry the ball and make late runs into the box, and according to this latest report, the powers that be at the Emirates believe that the £105m midfielder’s ‘ball-striking ability is somewhat underestimated’.

Meanwhile, Vermeeren has made eight of his 16 appearances thus far this season in a defensive role, showing that he is more than capable there. One of these run-outs came in the Champions League another potential suitor in Barcelona.

TeamTalk also suggests that the fee for Vermeeren would be in the region of £15m, which is rather modest in the current market.

Ivan Toney – Brentford: TEAMtalk is reporting that Toney would favour a move to Arsenal as he is a fan of the club and the manager.

Arsenal will face competition from London rivals Chelsea in this transfer saga, with Todd Boehly willing to make another major investment for Mauricio Pochettino.

The Bees “hope to land up to £80m for their star man”, so it could represent some serious expenditure for Arsenal.

The Mirror had previously claimed that Arsenal were ready to step up their interest in the Brentford forward ahead of the January transfer window.

The west Londoners are thought to be open selling the England international, who has served half of his eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules. The 27-year-old will be able to feature in competitive games from 17th January.

It is thought that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta wants to add a proven goalscorer to his ranks, and a physical presence and Toney certainly fits that profile, having netted 20 Premier League goals in 33 appearances last term.

Arteta’s ruthless edge – which he showed with Aaron Ramsdale – could come to the fore once again in January.

Pedro Neto – Wolves: The Portuguese winger has kicked off the Premier League campaign in electrifying form and appears to be returning back to his best following a torrid time with injuries.

Neto has racked up eight goal contributions across ten appearances this term, and Arsenal are taking note of his sparkling performances.

According to the Mirror, the north London club have a long-standing interest in the 23-year-old and made their admiration known in the summer, but their approach was rebuffed by Wolves.

Neto is said to be a self-confessed Arsenal fan and could be tempted by a January proposal, however, the Wanderers are thought to be asking for a sizeable fee, making the deal a difficult one for technical director Edu.

Furthermore, the recent injury to the winger could force the club to look elsewhere, as splashing a significant of money on a player to sit on the sidelines might not be the best idea.

Who could leave Arsenal in January?

Thomas Partey: According to a report from 90min, Thomas Partey could force a move away from Arsenal should his game time not improve by Christmas.

The report states that the Ghanaian international has become ‘frustrated’ with his reduced role at the club recently and would consider moving away if Mikel Arteta does not start to play him more often.

The 30-year-old has seen his place as a guaranteed starter disappear this season following the arrival of Declan Rice, and with Arteta’s well-known appreciation of Jorginho, the former Atletico man appears to have fallen even further down the pecking order.

According to the report, Arteta’s decision not to use Partey during their crucial game against Chelsea at the weekend upset the player’s camp, as he was fit enough for the bench but still not used despite the team’s evident struggles in the midfield.

Additionally, according to a recent report from Italy, Juventus are once again interested in Partey. The report revealed that following the recent ban given to Paul Pogba, the Old Lady have reignited their interest in the Ghanaian international.

The story claims that the Serie A giants could come in with an offer to take the player on loan in January, and while that sounds like a bad deal for the Gunners, it might be what the player wants if he still isn’t playing at that time.

Keep your eyes on this one; something has to change.

Aaron Ramsdale: The England international has lost his place to summer signing David Raya in recent weeks and could move on in January.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea and Bayern Munich are thought to be keeping tabs on Ramsdale. The report notes that Chelsea remain open to strengthening their goalkeeping ranks whilst Bayern Munich are in the market for 38-year-old Manuel Neuer’s successor.

Ramsdale has established himself as one of the division’s best goalkeepers following his £30m switch from Sheffield United just over two years ago, but Raya’s arrival saw Arteta ruthlessly drop the 25-year-old.

The shot-stopper only signed a new four-year contract extension in May, and his omission from the starting lineup has caused a degree of shock behind the scenes at the club.

Emile Smith Rowe: Football Insider claims the playmaker is weighing up his options amid a lack of regular game time this season.

His potential departure, however, will be dependent on any outgoings this January, though Arsenal are thought to be considering further additions.

The Gunners rejected an enquiry from London rivals Chelsea in the summer, and the Mirror has reported that Newcastle United are also interested in the Hale End graduate.

Eddie Howe and Co are big fans of the versatile player and believe that his reduced minutes in north London could make him open to a move. However, the fact that the player’s contract is set to run until June 2026 would likely make any deal to sign him a rather expensive one.

How could Arsenal line up in January?

Will the rumoured incomings come straight into the starting lineup?

Well, Ivan Toney or Florian Wirtz surely enter Arteta’s starting XI should a move come to fruition in the January transfer window. Unless Jesus or Nketiah significantly resurrect their goalscoring form, it’s hard to envisage the Brentford ace on the bench, while Wirtz surely wouldn’t move just to be a backup.

Neto, on the other hand, will have to displace Bukayo Saka, who is currently the club’s top scorer and provider this season, so that seems unlikely.

However, the forward will provide fantastic depth and could be used as Saka’s backup, helping the No 7 to manage his workload.

As for Vermeeren, he would surely be a more long-term prospect and coming in immediately may be too much of an ask, though he would arrive with a considerable amount of experience for his age.

Potential Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Ødegaard, Havertz; Saka, Toney, Martinelli.