Arsenal are looking to take advantage of Frenkie de Jong’s contract situation to sign the Barcelona midfielder in January, according to reports.
The Gunners made eight new signings in the summer transfer window with Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta bringing in quality and quantity.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie all moved to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal backed Arteta heavily as they look to finally end a run of three years in a row of finishing second in the Premier League by winning the title.
And they could add to the squad again in the January transfer window with rumours that Netherlands international De Jong has emerged as a target.
Spanish website Fichajes claims that Arsenal are ‘closely monitoring’ De Jong’s situation at Barcelona with his contract expiring next summer.
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The Catalan giants have now ‘warned that if the midfielder doesn’t sign a new contract before January, they will put him on the transfer market to prevent him from leaving for free in the summer of 2026.’
Despite signing Zubimendi and Norgaard in the summer, Arsenal boss Arteta ‘believes they still lack a top-level creative talent’.
Arsenal are now ‘the leading candidate’ to sign De Jong with Fichajes adding that ‘the London club plans to take advantage of the contract indecision to negotiate in January. Furthermore, Arteta sees the Dutchman as a player who would elevate the team’s performance in the fight for the Premier League and Champions League titles.’
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand now thinks Arsenal, not Manchester City, will be Liverpool’s closest challengers for the Premier League title this season.
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Ferdinand told the Daily Mail: “I think you always have to have respect for the champions, no matter who it is. Champions normally go into the following season as the team to beat, that’s inevitable.
“If you look at the way Liverpool have recruited in the summer, they’ve had the best window by far. Their intentions were pure and clean and transparent from the get-go, and they managed to execute everything apart from Marc Guehi. If they had got Marc Guehi, I think they would have cleaned up everything, to be honest.
“I think the only team who will be anywhere near Liverpool this season is Arsenal. They’ve got a great squad, real good depth with who they’ve bought. I think they’ve had a good window and if [Viktor] Gyokeres comes good, it puts them in a better position.
“I don’t think we’ll see anyone else. Anyone you think might be a surprise, a Newcastle or a Chelsea, I think European football hinders them a little bit in that respect. Just the demands it puts on the squad.”
