Getting rid of Thomas Partey, Arsenal is determined to recruit Fulham’s ‘steel shield’

Journalist Ben Jacobs confirmed Arsenal are looking to strengthen their midfield and they have contacted Joao Palhinha.

Coach Mikel Arteta is said to be very impressed with what Joao Palhinha has done in the Premier League . Palhinha has appeared in 20 matches and scored 2 goals for Fulham this season.

Arsenal wants Fulham 28yo - Football

 Arsenal want the signature of Palhinha

The midfielder’s pursuit could prove difficult due to Arsenal’s financial constraints in January. However, the possibility of a deal is not impossible.

Fulham anticipated the possibility of Palhinha leaving, so they moved to sign André, a 22-year-old Brazilian talent from Fluminense. Arsenal is also considering selling midfielder Thomas Partey to have more finances to pursue Palhinha.

Fulham set for Joao Palhinha transfer boost despite lining up replacement in case of January exit | Evening Standard

Partey is still recovering from injury and has entered the final 18 months of his contract. Teams in Saudi Arabia and Juventus are closely monitoring Partey’s situation.

Meanwhile, Palhinha, who almost joined Bayern Munich last summer, has attracted attention from a number of top Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Palhinha’s only negative point probably comes from the fact that he is 28 years old and is not part of the Gunners’ rejuvenation policy.

Mikel Arteta is ‘personally pushing’ Arsenal to sign Real Sociedad’s ‘superstar’ this January

During this month’s transfer window, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hopes to sign Martin Zubimendi, a midfielder for Real Sociedad.

Barcelona think it will be 'practically impossible' to sign Martin Zubimendi - report - Barca Blaugranes

Hasn’t it been a terrible few weeks for the Gunners? Fans are hopeful that their team will bolster their roster this month as they have only won one of their last five Premier League encounters. It seems that Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, is a huge fan of Zubimendi.

Mikel Arteta wants to sign Martin Zubimendi for Arsenal

There aren’t many options for Arsenal in the middle of the park.

In defensive midfield, Declan Rice is the primary player, with Jorginho filling in as backup. Thomas Partey is still injured and it’s not certain when he’ll return, but Mohamed Elneny is scheduled to travel for the African Cup of Nations.

EPL: He's an outstanding trainer - Declan Rice picks Arsenal player who surprises him - Daily Post Nigeria

Another excellent midfield player who can play as a left-sided number eight or step in at defensive midfield to free up Rice for more attacking opportunities would be greatly appreciated by Arsenal.

Although it will be difficult for the Gunners to locate a realistic target during this month’s transfer window, Dean Jones has stated that Arsenal’s manager is driving the team’s interest in midfielder Mikel Arteta.

Mikel Arteta calls for increased squad sizes as Arsenal suffer fresh injury blow | beIN SPORTS

Jones stated to GiveMeSport that there is “definitely some serious interest in Zubimendi.” There are a few names they are considering, and the player is obviously that defensive-minded one, so it’s difficult to predict right now where they would rank in terms of priority.

“The player who will maintain possession and disrupt play.” However, it’s quite difficult to predict if Zubimendi would be a top target or merely a target. Naturally, it also depends on their financial resources for that particular section of the industry.

“It’s a player that definitely I know that Mikel Arteta really admires and I think a lot of this is led by him.”

Arsenal can sign Zubimendi for £53m

Arsenal have had an eye on Martin Zubimendi for quite a long time.

Bayern Munich shows interest in signing Martín Zubimendi - Bavarian Football Works

It is no secret at this point that Mikel Arteta is a big fan of the Real Sociedad man, but the Gunners just haven’t been able to get a deal done for him over the last few windows.

If Arsenal really do want to sign Zubimendi this month, they will have to trigger his release clause, which is set at £53 million (Eurosport).

Zubimendi would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, but it is a really difficult deal to complete – not just because his release clause will have to be paid in full but also because the player has always remained loyal to Sociedad.