Arsenal transfer news: Latest updates on Denis Suarez, Ivan Perisic and Christopher Nkunku ahead of Cardiff
Arsenal hope to complete a deal for Suarez in the next 24 hours, while Perisic and Nkunku continue to be linked to the club
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Players linked with this window: Denis Suárez (Barcelona), Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), Christopher Nkunku (Paris Saint-Germain)
Arsenal have less than three days left to strengthen their squad ahead of the 31 January transfer deadline.
At his press conference ahead of the club’s match against Cardiff City this evening, head coach Unai Emery said that the club were working on deals for two players, with the Spaniard desperate to sign a wide midfielder “who can play on the left and right”
Emery however also conceded that this had been a difficult transfer window, admitting that it was possible the club would make no signings. “Nil or possibly two,” he replied when asked how many players he expected to be signed ahead of Thursday’s deadline. “Between nil and two. If they aren’t coming to help us like we want, then we would prefer them to not come.”
Emery later explained that the club had promised him money to spend in the summer, although the club have today made significant progress in their attempts to strengthen their squad.
Denis Suárez
Denis Suárez’s move from Barcelona to Arsenal could be completed by the time Unai Emery’s side kick-off against Cardiff this evening.
Barcelona have finally softened their stance on Suárez leaving the club on loan after the 25-year-old agreed to sign a new contract with the club, thus protecting his value in the next transfer window.
The idea would still be that Arsenal buy out Suárez’s loan in the summer but the clause would be an option rather than a compulsory purchase.
Arsenal's interest was only ever in a loan move with an option to buy in the summer. Short on transfer funds this month, they are interested in Suárez for the versatility he would bring to their midfield and his potential to improve further.
While he is 25 years old, Suárez has only really had three full first-team campaigns where he has featured in the majority of games, with one of those coming under Emery's orders at Sevilla.
The news comes after Mundo Deportivo this morning reported that the deal was off due to the stubbornness of Arsenal’s Head of Football, Raúl Sanllehí, who refused to include an option to buy in his offer. However, it appears the Spaniard has had his way.
Ivan Perisic
This morning, Inter Milan chief executive Giuseppe Marotta claimed the Italian club are yet to receive an offer for Croatia international Perisic, who handed in a transfer request on Monday.
The 29-year-old was an unused substitute for Inter Milan’s 1-0 defeat by Torino on Saturday, with the club confirming before the match that he had asked to leave.
And Marotta has conceded that it will be “difficult’` for Inter to keep Perisic.
“It is difficult to keep players that don’t want to stay but no offer has arrived yet so therefore the prerequisite for a transfer simply isn’t there,” he told Sky in Italy.
“This also happens at other teams, I am a supporter of a restrictive transfer window, but with the fact that it closes on the 31st [ of January], a lot of players wish to leave their clubs.”
Arsenal are yet to make a formal offer for Perisic despite reports. They are unlikely to face any competition for his signature although will face similar problems to their protracted Suárez bid. Inter wish to sell for £35m, whereas Arsenal favour a loan move, ahead of a generous option to purchase at the end of the season.
Christopher Nkunku
Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain made contact last week over a potential deal for 21-year-old midfielder Christopher Nkunku.
A regular under Emery last season, Nkunku has fallen down the pecking order since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in the summer, making just five Ligue 1 starts this season.
There has been a significant development today: Paris Saint-Germain signed Leandro Paredes from Zenit Saint Petersburg for £35m, which pushes Nkunku closer to the exit door.
Whether Nkunku will now leave Paris largely depends on two things. The first is the future of fellow midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who could also leave this week, although at present that looks unlikely.
The second is the nature of the deal taking Nkunku from PSG to Arsenal. PSG prefer cold hard cash. Arsenal prefer a loan move with an option to buy. Now doesn't that sound familiar?
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