Arsenal are reportedly in talks to strengthen their forward line with several outgoing transfers also in the pipeling
Matty Hewitt
07:00, 24 Jan 2026
Arsenal are reportedly keen on a move to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico de Madrid
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Arsenal are reportedly keen on a move to sign Julian Alvarez from Atletico de Madrid(Image: )
Arsenal return to Premier League duty this weekend as they face Manchester United, aiming to stretch their advantage at the summit of the table.
The Gunners sit seven points ahead of their closest championship challengers Manchester City, who have bolstered their ranks during this month.
Mikel Arteta's squad are yet to strengthen their first-team options in the January transfer window, though they have approved Ethan Nwaneri's move to Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.
Additional business could be concluded before the window shuts, with the Gunners reportedly connected to both arrivals and departures.
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Sporting director Andrea Berta invested heavily during the summer to enhance Arteta's options and the club remain in contention for four trophies by the season's end.
With this in mind, we look at the latest Arsenal transfer rumours and developments.
Arsenal engage in Julian Alvarez discussions
TalkSPORT reports that Arsenal have conducted 'exploratory talks' regarding the acquisition of former Manchester City ace Julian Alvarez, with Atletico Madrid allegedly willing to part ways with the Argentine forward. The striker, who joined the La Liga outfit for €100million (£86.8m), was recruited by current Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta whilst he was at the Spanish club.
The Gunners chief maintains a solid rapport with the player but will encounter rivalry from Barcelona for his signature. Alvarez remains under contract for another four-and-a-half years and will command a substantial fee.
Arsenal have held 'exploratory talks' to sign Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez
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Arsenal have held 'exploratory talks' to sign Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez(Image: )
He's netted an impressive 40 goals in 85 outings for Diego Simeone's outfit, although no transfer fee has been mooted as yet. Speaking last month, Arteta dropped hints that his team could be busy in the current window, saying: "The window is there and I mean we are Arsenal and we have to be looking at it, 'Okay, what do we need?'
"And we have to be actively looking and then, whether we can do it or not, that's a different story. But our job is to always be very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully it'll be very positive. When you look across the other clubs, they have 24 or 25 squad players.
"Although we have had more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable, we want to be better and we know how important the part of having the right availability with players is going to be this season."
Zinchenko latest
Ajax's director of football Jordi Cruyff is reportedly holding direct discussions with Arsenal manager Arteta in a bid to get the Oleksandr Zinchenko transfer across the finishing line. The Ukrainian defender has spent the opening half of the campaign on loan with Nottingham Forest but appears destined to cut short that temporary spell and make the switch to Holland.
According to Voetbal Primeur, Cruyff is urging the Gunners to wrap up a deal. The report suggests the director of football spent three hours in the car driving from Barcelona to Villarreal to watch that match before calling Arteta to make the Zinchenko deal happen.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Arsenal's loan player was due to return to the Emirates, before being loaned out to the Dutch giants. However, recent reports suggest that the Gunners are now looking to sell Zinchenko on a permanent basis with an announcement imminent.
Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to end his loan move with Nottingham Forest and join Ajax
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Oleksandr Zinchenko looks set to end his loan move with Nottingham Forest and join Ajax(Image: )
Serie A could be the next stop for an Arsenal star
Italian media reports suggest that AC Milan and Juventus are interested in signing Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus. Calciomercato IT suggests that the 28 year old, whose contract expires in the summer, could be available for around €20million (£17m).
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Inter Milan have previously shown interest in Jesus, but their enthusiasm has reportedly waned. Jesus has had his share of injuries during his time in North London, including missing the start of the season due to an ACL injury sustained last season.
Since returning to the pitch, he's scored three goals and provided one assist in 12 matches across all competitions for the Gunners, playing just 415 minutes of football.