Mikel Arteta has two £100million top targets ahead of January with Arsenal expected to sign a new left winger.
Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta
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Planning for the next transfer window often begins well before it opens, particularly when clubs identify specific areas they want to strengthen. Injuries can delay interest in a player, but a return to the pitch tends to restart discussions. Multiple targets can remain under consideration even when mid-season deals look complicated.
Arsenal have Eli Junior Kroupi and Kenan Yildiz firmly on their transfer radar ahead of the January window, new reports claim.
READ MORE: Arsenal watching 92 G/A winger ahead of January
Bournemouth forward Kroupi was understood to have been a prominent target for the Gunners during the summer, only to suffer a foot fracture during pre-season that required surgery. The France Under-21 international was sidelined for three months, halting his significant momentum after a fantastic debut season in English football following a move from Lorient in which he netted 13 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions.
However, Kroupi has played in Bournemouth’s last three matches as a substitute after returning to fitness and will be bidding to make a first start under Marco Rose as the Cherries travel to Sparta Prague in the Europa League and Ipswich in the Premier League prior to the November international break. Kroupi’s return to action has led to renewed transfer talk, with The Mirror reporting that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is bidding to strengthen his attacking options in January amid interest in the 20-year-old.
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The Gunners are also said to be keen on Yildiz, the Juventus winger who has been frequently linked with a switch to north London over recent windows and was subject to more speculation during the latter stages of the summer. However, as with Kroupi, who is also said to be interesting a range of other clubs including Manchester United, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, those rumours were quickly dashed by a foot fracture sustained in late August that required surgery. The Turkey star has not featured since, having made just one Serie A appearance so far this term.
Signing either Kroupi or Yildiz in January will potentially prove difficult for Arsenal, who welcomed the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis, Ezri Konsa, Piero Hincapie and Illan Meslier during a busy summer window but were unsuccessful in their pursuit of other high-profile targets such as Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez. It has been widely reported on multiple occasions that Bournemouth will not entertain the possibility of selling Kroupi mid-season, especially with England midfielder Alex Scott potentially leaving in January amid a transfer U-turn and likely bidding war between Chelsea and Liverpool.
Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti emphatically ruled out the prospect of a departure from Turin for Yildiz in the summer, insisting it did not matter if interested clubs were willing to offer €100million. However, it has since been reported in Italy that another failure to qualify for the Champions League for Juventus this term could see them forced to sell their top asset. The Bianconeri currently sit seventh in Serie A, six points outside the Champions League spots after 10 games.
The reports underline Arsenal’s desire to add attacking options in January. Whether either deal can be completed mid-season remains uncertain given the positions of the selling clubs.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta
Manchester City v Arsenal
Manchester City v Arsenal