Arsenal will spend big in the summer and that will always have an impact on mid-season reinforcements as Mikel Arteta sticks with what he got at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta was likely to oversee an always quiet January (Image: Nicolò Campo, LightRocket via Getty Images)
Arsenal sit quite high in the Premier League and are therefore satisfied with their fate and chose not to play hard in the January transfer window.
Unlike his closest rivals Manchester City, who have brought in Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guéhi, Mikel Arteta has not spent big on a team that is already poised to win multiple accolades, with William Saliba vocalizing his desire to win the Quadruple.
Mikel Arteta has been active this summer, bringing in the likes of Martin Zvimendi, Noni Madueke, Victor Gokeres and Eberechi Eze to complement the vast amount of quality he already has at the Emirates. Mid-season deals are always difficult to close due to limited quality in the market. Guehi had attracted the attention of the club, but in the end the club chose not to make City’s financial offer for the centre-half.
Mirror Football takes a quick look back at what January brought to the North Londoners, with the focus on exits rather than arrivals.
Ince
It’s always going to be a simple month for the Gunners, who have few holes in their squad. Signing a new striker was not in the plans, as they still lack a capable forward but that does not detract from their ambitions. They are still very invested in Gokeres.
read more: Mikel Arteta pledges on Arsenal transfer deadline day following Mikel Merino injury reportread more: Mikel Arteta has already received approval from Sandro Tonali due to Arsenal move
The injury to Mikel Merino, who has proven to be very versatile, led to suggestions that the club might consider entering the market, which Arteta confirmed, but nothing materialized.
“We are actively considering our options and will continue to do so,” he said. “If we find a solution, we’ll work on it. If we don’t find a solution, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”
Arsenal have secured a late-game deal by agreeing a deal to sign defender Jayden Dixon from Stoke City for nearly £500,000. The 18-year-old joins as a highly-regarded talent, with the Gunners able to meet a number of other interested parties in a bid to secure the player’s contract, football.london report. Dixon made his Championship debut last season but is yet to feature in the Potters’ current campaign.
Jayden Dixon joins Arsenal (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Sandro Tonali was offered to Arsenal by his agent, but The Athletic reported that there were no talks with Newcastle, but the situation progressed no further as the Magpies were unwilling to enter into any business.
There was also an attempt to loan Scottish youngster James Wilson to the Under-21 team. However, after repeated negotiations, rivals Tottenham finally reached an agreement.
outs
The main player to leave Emirates during this period was Ethan Nwaneri, who was loaned to Marseille. The teenager is highly sought after, but the competition is very competitive in north London and he struggled for a few minutes. He scored on his debut for Marseille, providing a timely reminder of his quality.
Arsenal consider the player to be of vital long-term importance and, as a result, the deal that sees Nwaneri head to the south of France does not include a buy-out option.
Ethan Nwaneri loan transfer approved (Image: AP)
Regarding his next move, the winger himself said: “Anything can happen in football. We’ll see what happens. We’ll see if there’s any contact. We don’t know what will happen. We’ll see when it happens.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko is also starting to move. His loan spell at Nottingham Forest was shortened and he was able to move to Ajax on a permanent contract. The versatile Ukrainian star joins for just £1.3 million.
There have also been moves among some of the club’s young players, with Maldini Kakri joining Grimsby and heading to League Two after failing to make the top flight.
Osman Kamara was another young player who was allowed to leave, falling to the Championship with Blackburn. Another young player, Louis Copley, has moved to Crawley on loan.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
