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Arsenal have been linked with a potentially busy January transfer window.
The January transfer window is now less than two weeks away, and while the blockbuster transfers are typically put on ice until the summer, there’s a lot of excitement brewing around the new year.
The Premier League title race has been blown wide open after Manchester City dropped nine points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Chelsea have crept up the table and now pose the biggest threat to Arne Slot’s Reds. One wrong move and the Blues could seize the chance to slip into first place between now and the start of the new year.
Arsenal are currently six points adrift of the top spot after dropping points in back-to-back draws against Fulham and Everton. They will face Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town before the year ends as they push to make up some ground in the title battle. Once these two games have been played, the transfer window will be open for business.
A lot of rumours have been doing the rounds ahead of January as multiple Premier League clubs have been tipped to strengthen their sides. In recent weeks, Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Kolo Muani and Dušan Vlahović as they prioritise new options in attack. The latter has been connected with a potential swap deal involving Gabriel Jesus, according to reports in Italy, but other forwards have also been mentioned.
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One of the biggest speculation cases right now is the future of Marcus Rashford. After reports that Manchester United would be open to offers for their homegrown star in January, the player himself has since revealed that it is now a matter of when he will leave Old Trafford, rather than if.
Speaking to journalist Henry Winter, Rashford said: “For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps. When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.
“If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person. When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”
Rashford is under contract until 2028 but he has been heavily linked with a move as soon as the new year. Arsenal have been credited with interest in the 27-year-old as they look to add more firepower to their attack.
Former Emirates star Bacary Sagna has admitted he ‘would love’ to see Rashford join the ranks under Mikel Arteta.
“I think if you added Rashford to Arsenal’s attack, with the pace that he has, Arsenal would destroy the opposition,” Sagna said (via The Mirror). “Adding Rashford to an extremely talented squad would be a frightening prospect for Arsenal’s rivals. Rashford is so quick.
“He hasn’t been at his best, but when that happens you need support and a good environment to bring you back to your best level. You need your teammates and your manager to lift you up. You need people to believe in you.”
As a product of the Man United Academy, it’s hard to imagine Rashford playing for any other club. The England international has spent his entire senior career so far at Old Trafford, and now, with the end of an era dawning, a bombshell move is on the horizon.
Contrasting reports have surrounded Arsenal’s apparent interest. TBR Football claim that the Gunners ‘have no interest’ in signing Rashford, although they can afford to do so. His reported £325,000-a-week wages could be a stumbling block but the Daily Mail reports that Arsenal, or any other team, could sign Rashford for a fee of £40 million.
It would be a surprising yet potentially very effective move for Arsenal, who are looking to bolster their threat in front of goal. Rashford may have slipped off the radar recently but his superb 30 goals and nine assists during the 2022/23 season show exactly what he is capable of. He can also play comfortably across the front three, and in midfield when called upon, making him an extremely versatile option to have on the books.
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