Arsenal travel to Bournemouth on Saturday as Premier League leaders, with one of their players recently attracting transfer interest
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
06:00, 01 Jan 2026
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, and his assistant Albert Stuivenberg look on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates Stadium on December 27, 2025 in London, England.
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Mikel Arteta's side are coming off the back of a huge victory(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal's emphatic win over Aston Villa earlier this week delivered a clear statement to their Premier League rivals.
The Gunners finally broke their disappointing run against Unai Emery's Villa with a thrilling 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, maintaining their position at the top of the table at the turn of the year.
Mikel Arteta's side cannot afford to become complacent though, with another tough fixture awaiting on Saturday afternoon as they travel to face Bournemouth. Securing maximum points while avoiding further injuries will be key for Arteta, considering his team's relentless injury issues throughout the campaign.
The January window also presents the Arsenal hierarchy with the chance to assess potential reinforcements and departures in the transfer market. football.london delivers two of the most recent developments from N5.
Gunners involved in £65m transfer
Arsenal will unintentionally delay Antoine Semenyo's seemingly inevitable move to Manchester City. City are understood to be in advanced talks to sign the Ghanaian winger from Bournemouth for £65million, with the transfer expected to be completed shortly.
But Cherries manager Andoni Iraola is determined to have Semenyo available for Saturday's clash with Arsenal. Speaking after Semenyo completed the full 90 minutes against Chelsea on Tuesday, the manager commented: "I don't know what is going to happen, but he will definitely play [against Arsenal]. This is not his last game.
Antoine Semenyo of AFC Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford on December 15, 2025 in Manchester, England
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Antoine Semenyo looks to be on the verge of a move to Man City(Image: Getty Images)
"He needs to recover because we play Arsenal at home in another three days. Against [the team] top of the league, he will be an important player for us, yes."
Semenyo will be eager to make an impression on his new City colleagues before even setting foot at the Etihad by delivering a decisive blow against title rivals Arsenal in that upcoming fixture.
Clubs keen on Nwaneri
Ethan Nwaneri can be forgiven if he had mixed feelings about the win over Aston Villa this week. The 18-year-old talent was omitted from the matchday squad to face Emery's side.
This latest setback follows a notable decrease in his playing time this campaign, managing only six Premier League appearances in contrast to his breakthrough last season when he netted four goals across 26 league matches.
Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal inspects the pitch prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD6 match between Club Brugge KV and Arsenal FC at Jan Breydelstadion on December 10, 2025 in Bruges, Belgium.
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Ethan Nwaneri is struggling for game time(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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With the likes of Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and now injury returnee Kai Havertz ahead of the youngster in the pecking order, there is an increasing feeling that Nwaneri should seek a January loan move away in order to continue his progression.
His talent has understandably caught the eye of other clubs, according to The Athletic. Yet, the report, which doesn't mention which clubs are interested, also claims Arsenal will be reluctant to lose either Nwaneri or Myles Lewis-Skelly this month, having recently signed both to new long-term contracts.
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