Arsenal news and transfers LIVE - Deal confirmed, Boniface talks ...
Good morning, and it can certainly be considered a good one for Arsenal following their 5-0 thumping of Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The win saw the Gunners close the gap to Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League table, however two negatives emerged from the game. Both Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes went off with injuries, although there a very good chance the influential duo make the game against Liverpool next month.
In the transfer world, updates on the likes of Ivan Toney, Victor Boniface, Matthijs de Ligt and Karim Benzema have all come to light. The latest on Emile Smith Rowe is also intriguing following his bright cameo on Saturday.
We'll explore all these stories and much more throughout the day with Arteta and his players set for a lengthy rest before returning to action!
Want to keep up to date with the breaking and important Arsenal stories whilst on the move? Well now you can!
Click this link to follow the football.london Arsenal WhatsApp channel, where you'll be kept up to date on the latest Gunners news wherever you are.
Just remember to turn on the notifications once you've followed, and you won't miss a beat!
14:14Kieran Horn
Arsenal saw their Premier League title charge get back on track with a dominant 5-0 win against Crystal Palace.
The Gunners remain below Manchester City and Liverpool in the table and that has been further proven by the latest title odds provided by Betway.
Betway: Premier League Winner 2023/24
Manchester City - 3/5Liverpool - 3/1Arsenal - 7/1Aston Villa, Tottenham - 33/1Manchester United - 350/113:38Tom Coley
Mika Biereth, as expected, has completed a loan deal away from Arsenal.
However, having returned from Motherwell last week, he hasn't joined Sheffield Wednesday as it appeared he was set to.
The youngster has instead gone to Sturm Graz in Austria.
13:01Kieran Horn
Arsenal are set to be in a battle to sign Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface. The Gunners have been linked with a move for the Nigerian goal-machine but his services won't come easily.
Having only signed for Leverkusen over the summer, moving from Belgium after just one year there, his meteoric rise continues. The 23-year-old tops Bundesliga under Xabi Alonso and is making quite the name for himself too, scoring ten times in the first half of the season.
Read the latest on his future by clicking here
12:02Kieran Horn
Ivan Toney marked his competitive return for Brentford with a goal in their 3-2 Premier League win against Nottingham Forest.
After Orel Mangala dragged down Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the box, Toney stepped up and fired a free-kick round the wall and into the back of the net. Watching on was his former Brentford team-mate David Raya who made the switch from the Bees to Arsenal in the summer.
The goalkeeper joined on a season-long in the summer but that is expected to be made permanent very soon with Arsenal having a £27million buy-option. Considering the duo have spent a number of years alongside each other, Raya celebrated Toney's return and goal on Instagram by posting a story.
Read the full story here
11:16Kieran Horn
Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes both left Arsenal's win over Crystal Palace with injury concerns.
After the game, concern was understandably high surrounding the duo, with Arteta's immediate update not installing too much optimism.
"He [Rice] was feeling some tightness," the Arsenal boss said in his post-match press conference. "I don’t know what muscle it was. But when he says that at 3-0 then obviously we don’t want to take any risks. The same with big Gabi. He had some discomfort from a tackle in the first half and he was struggling a bit so it was the right moment to take him off the field."
Despite the concerns, the Gunners have actually been handed the best-case return scenario on the duo.
Read the full story here
10:27Kieran Horn
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has commented on the future of Matthijs de Ligt amid reports he could leave this summer.
“We’re planning with Matthijs, top player and top guy. Matthijs came back injured from the national team, missed all preseason. We played him too early in the Supercup, then he got seriously injured again."
With Tuchel also sending a clear verdict to interested parties, it is perhaps his underlying message that speaks volumes. The Netherlands international has clearly struggled with injuries and signing a player that is prone to missing prolonged spells is one reason why it is a transfer Arsenal should avoid.
09:46Tom Coley
RB Leipzig wish to keep Xavi Simons for another year and the feeling is mutual as Arsenal are dealt a blow.
The Gunners have been long-term admirers of the attacker and have been linked with signing him but the PSG man is now in talks with his parent club to remain in Germany for a bit longer.
09:27Tom Coley
Arsenal's attempts to sign Roma full-back Leonardo Spinazzola could have legs to it in the final weeks of this window.
The player has been mooted as possible option for the Gunners to pursue as a left-back option.
Dean Jones says:
"If there is one position you can get optimistic about, I think it is about Arsenal bringing in a defender to pad out the squad and also raise the quality a little bit.
"The thing with Spinazzola is that he is actually available in this window. If this is the route that Arsenal want to go down, in terms of signing somebody, this has real potential.
"Arsenal, obviously, don't have a huge budget. I've been told to be very cautious about measuring who would be a realistic signing and who wouldn't.
"But, when you consider this one, it does actually seem to be one that would fit. For sure, it is a position that Arteta wants to fix."
09:05Tom Coley
Remember him?
RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko, who was linked with a move last summer, reportedly has a £45million release clause.
He's the Bundesliga version of Darwin Nunez currently...
Let's see if Arsenal dip back in the market for him, maybe.
08:46Tom Coley
Arsenal are said to be one of the clubs eyeing a shock move for Bayern Munich ace Jamal Musiala.
Musiala has been linked with a return to England and he is yet to sign a new deal in Germany with his contract ending in 2026.
It is said that he could cost as much as £87million.
08:28Tom Coley
Now to the transfers.
football.london writes: Arsenal have been put on alert with reports that Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt could be available for transfer in the summer.
The Gunners were linked with an interestin the defender back in December with Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff admiring the Dutchman. Arsenal could look to add to their defensive ranks when the summer transfer window opens, and it seems that de Ligt could now be an option.
Sky Sports Germanyreports that the defender could be available for transfer in the summer with him falling down the pecking order at Bayern. Min-Jae Kim and Dayot Upamecano are currently ahead of de Ligt when it comes to selection with the Bundesliga champions also on the lookout for another centre-back when the summer transfer window opens.
It is reported that the player is not happy with being third, or even fourth choice, and could therefore seek a move elsewhere. It is unlikely in the current January window with the centre-back expected to get some more game time while Min-Jae Kim is on international duty at the Asian Cup.
Read the full story, here.
08:09Tom Coley
The Brazilian went off after scoring twice.
"The same with big Gabi. He had some discomfort from a tackle in the first half and he was struggling a bit so it was the right moment to take him off the field."
07:47Tom Coley
First up, here's what Arteta had say about Declan Rice going off yesterday with an injury.
"No, he was feeling some tightnes.
"I don’t know what muscle it was. But when he says that at 3-0 then obviously we don’t want to take any risks."
07:28Tom Coley
A nice place to start, let's see what the state of play is.
Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 5-0 to move thirdRice and Gabriel go off injuredBiereth moves to Sturm Graz on loan despite Sheffield Wednesday linksReports in Germany suggest De Ligt could move in the summerBenzema urged to ignore Arsenal (and Chelsea) January moveWe'll be all over this and the rest as it happens throughout the day.
07:18Tom Coley
Tom Coley back again!
Nice win yesterday for Arsenal. What crisis?!
We're here to recap that, analyse it in all its glory, and of course there's going to be a lot of attention on transfers.
20:47Jake Stokes
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have been given a major boost to their hopes of signing Matthijs de Ligt. The 24-year-old defender has faced an uncertain future at Bayern Munich for a while now after falling out of favour under Thomas Tuchel.
According to Sky Sports Germany, De Ligt is 'likely to leave' the Bundesliga champions in the summer if a 'suitable offer' is submitted. The Netherlands international, who sees his contract at the Allianz Arena expire in 2027, joined Bayern from Juventus for €67million (£57.6m) in July 2022.
The report adds that the Red Devils are monitoring De Ligt's situation closely, with Erik ten Hag short on world-class options at the back. The Dutchman, who was once regarded as one of the world's most exciting young players, has been briefly linked with Arsenal and Chelsea in the past, but now the London clubs both have a wealth of options at the back.
20:20Jake Stokes
Mikel Arteta issued an injury update on Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes following Arsenal's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace. The former was replaced by Jorginho shortly after the hour mark due to a hamstring issue before the latter was brought off for Jakub Kiwior after a minor knock.
When asked about the former West Ham midfielder, the Gunners boss said: "He was feeling some tightness. I don’t know what muscle it was. But when he says that at three-nil then obviously we don’t want to take any risks.
On Gabriel, Arteta added: "The same with big Gabi. He had some discomfort from a tackle in the first half and he was struggling a bit so it was the right moment to take him off the field."
19:10Jake Stokes
In a column for SportsKeeda, Paul Merson said: "As for Benzema, I'm not sure he will come to the Premier League despite being linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United as he'll want a lot of money and won't be a long-term option.
"It screams like the kind of signing Manchester United would jump at, but they can't keep doing what they've done in recent years. If Benzema joins United, Rasmus Hojlund will play second fiddle and that would obviously hinder his development.
"It would kind of become like the Cristiano Ronaldo situation where he came in and scored goals, but Manchester United as a team got worse!"
18:12Jake Stokes
"I can understand why Ivan Toney is openly declaring he wants to move to a big club now," Graeme Souness told The Daily Mail. "He’s had to travel down the road a bit in football and wasn’t an instant success.
"Newcastle had him out on loan for three years. He’s had to work at establishing himself. He’s 27 — at the peak of his powers for a striker — and it’s now or never for him.
"You might say Brentford have looked after him during his ban but they will also get a shedload of money for him. I really can’t see them standing in his way — even allowing for their challenging season and the injuries they have.
"He could be the missing piece for Arsenal or Chelsea, who both need a different type of attacker..."
17:34Kieran Horn
Arsenal are firmly in the Premier League title race. The Gunners thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to propel them up to third in the table.
Mikel Arteta's side are now just two points behind table-toppers Liverpool, although Jurgen Klopp's team do have a game in hand. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring against the Eagles with a towering header and the defender thought he doubled his side's lead a short while later only for the Premier League to mark it down as a Dean Henderson own goal.
Leandro Trossard grabbed the third in the second half before Gabriel Martinelli scored two in injury time to complete the rout. It was a well-deserved win for the north Londoners who, along with Man City and Liverpool, are challenging for the title this season.
After the match, Bukayo Saka and Martinelli were asked about the Gunners' title chances.
Click here to read the full story
15:29Kieran Horn
Mikel Arteta has given an update on the fitness of Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice after Arsenal's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The pair were both involved in opening the scoring as Rice's corner was headed in by Gabriel at the back post just after the 10 minute mark. Gabriel then popped up again to head off Dean Henderson and in to give the Gunners a commanding lead.
Their domination continued into the second half as Leandro Trossard made it 3-0 with a swift counter attack. Gabriel Martinelli then rounded off the scoring with an injury time brace.
Prior to that late double from Martinelli both Rice and Gabriel were replaced by Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior respectively. Both appeared to be struggling with injuries as they came off with Arteta offering a huge update on the duo.
Read the full story here
14:35Kieran Horn
David Raya: One really poor moment to give the ball away to Lerma where he got himself out of jail with a smart stop. Made up for it with his alertness to start the counter attack for Trossard's goal. 7.
Ben White: Calls for a foul by him in the build up to the second goal but White was simply doing his job well. That's a phrase that could be used to describe the entirety of a solid display from the 25-year-old. 7.
William Saliba: Relatively untested for most of the match but oozed calmness and cool when he was. Mateta did not have a sniff all day because of the Frenchman. 7.
Read on here by clicking here
14:20Kieran Horn
Arsenal star Declan Rice may have picked up an injury in the Premier League clash against Crystal Palace which ultimtaley led to him being replaced by Jorginho. The 24-year-old played a crucial role in the opening goal at Emirates Stadium with his corner headed home by Gabriel Magalhaes at the back post.
The Brazilian defender netted what looked to be his second later on in the half however it went down as a Dean Henderson own goal. Leandro Trossard then grabbed a third for the hosts after David Raya started a counter-attack with a throw out to Gabriel Jesus who then squared for Trossard to score his seventh of the season.
With Arsenal firmly in control, Arteta had the chance to rotate his team with Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli replacing Trossard and Kai Havertz. Just a few minutes later, Jorginho was spotted getting ready with Rice as the player he would replace.
As he walked off the pitch, the midfielder appeared in some discomfort with some reports suggesting he said 'hammy' to Emile Smith Rowe before a brief chat with Arteta.
13:53Kieran Horn
Declan Rice has been handed a new role by Mikel Arteta for Arsenal's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace. The 24-year-old has already been required to take up a number of different jobs in his first six months at Emirates Stadium with Arteta using him as a centre-back in Champions League action against PSV at the back end of 2023.
Since his £105million summer move from West Ham, Rice has been an integral part of Arteta's team both on and off the ball. The Gunners have been boosted going forward with Rice's rampaging runs and his defensive contributions alongside William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have also been superb.
However, it is perhaps what he has done in front of goal that has justified his triple-figure price tag with that shown again against Crystal Palace.
Read the full story here
12:26Kieran Horn
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with a January transfer for Al-Ittihad Karim Benzema.
While he could certainly remain in Saudi Arabia, Benzema is certainly an option for all three, with former United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov offering his views on each club linked to Benzema. "I've seen that Man United may be in the picture for Benzema as well," he told Betfair.
"Someone has told me that maybe they'll try to see what the situation is. I think Benzema will be an interesting addition to any team. He brings a team goals.
"Let's see what Man United do in January, but why shouldn't Man United sign him? He brings experience and goals. He's been at Real Madrid before so maybe he's talking to Raphael Varane right now. Asking how training is, how Ten Hag is and what Manchester is like.
"Benzema isn't happy where he is from what we've all read and he just wants to play football. He doesn't play for the money anymore, he has all the money already so he is an option for Man United. Benzema will want to play in the Champions League and I think he still wants to play regularly. He's very similar to Cristiano Ronaldo in that respect. He wants to win trophies too.
"I think Benzema would get more game time at Chelsea because Nicolas Jackson is still finding his feet and is still missing chances. Also, it'd be in London and sometimes you want your new surroundings to be in a big city like that. Arsenal would be a very similar move because he'd be able to chase Champions League success. He'd also be able to play regularly because Gabriel Jesus can play out wide. Benzema would like playing for Arsenal because of their style of play.
"He has an interesting choice to make but right now he'd probably choose to move to a London club. In my mind, with Benzema, he’d like to play - if not every game - every other game. He’s not going to move to sit on the bench. He’s going to want to prove how good he still is."
11:52Kieran Horn
Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could be available for selection for the Gunners' Premier League title clash with Liverpool on February 4 following Japan's surprise 2-1 defeat to Iraq.
The versatile wing-back had missed five of the last six league games before the New Year due to a calf injury before returning to action against Fulham. His return to fitness meant he was called-up to the Japan national team for the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.
Japan, one of the favourites to win the tournament, had started their group campaign with a 4-2 win over Vietnam but any hopes of progressing to the knockout stages hang in the balance after a surprise 2-1 defeat to Iraq on Friday.
While that is a significant blow for Japan, it could greatly benefit Arsenal with Tomiyasu returning to north London far sooner than expected.
11:10Kieran Horn
Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus looks set for a return to the matchday squad against Crystal Palace after missing the last clash against Liverpool with a knee injury.
The Gunners have spent the last two weeks in Dubai with Jesus able to recover and return to full training overseas. And now, with a clash against Crystal Palace to come this afternoon, Jesus has been spotted arriving at Emirates Stadium....
10:58Amie Wilson
The pundit has had his say on how he thinks this afternoon's match vs Crystal Palace will go.
I’m going to go for Arsenal to win," he told PaddyPower. "I know they need a striker but they’ve just got to get back to winning ways and basically just get on with it. Arsenal 2-0 Crystal Palace.
10:10Amie Wilson
Arsenal-linked Matthijs de Ligt will be available for transfer in the summer transfer window, according to Sky Germany.
Mikel Arteta's side were credited with an interest in the Dutchman back in December. He has fallen down the pecking order at Bayern Munich with the German giants looking to sign another central defender in the summer transfer window.
The lack of game time means that de Ligt could look to move on. Although Manchester United have also been linked with an interest.
09:39Amie Wilson
A potential move for Karim Benzema could be scuppered by the player's wages, according to the Evening Standard.
The striker is said to be keen on a move back to Europe and is not happy with how his time in the Saudi Pro League is going. It is however reported that the player is on a wage of an eye-watering £88 million a year, which will have to be reduced if he is to move to Arsenal in January.
Benzema has two years remaining on his deal with Al-Ittihad with the Saudi club reluctant to let him go.
