The January transfer window games have already started. Even with less and less serious business at the top done during the mid-season market, Arsenal have found themselves in an unexpected position.
On Sunday it was confirmed that Fabio Vieira had not been recalled despite claims that his absence from Porto's squad against Boavista was evidence that he was indeed on his way back. football.london understands that is not the case even though Porto boss Vitor Bruno was critical of the player.
“I have to make decisions, pay close attention to the players’ performance and how they view their day-to-day activities,” he said. “Fabio is very talented but talent has to be based on a series of pre-conditions. And when one or two of them end up falling apart, it makes everything more difficult."
If this is a precursor for what is to come in the January window then it could be a fun one. Here, football.london looks into the latest and biggest stories around the club.
Left-back cover
Arsenal are seriously interested in making a move for Crystal Palace left-back Tyrique Mitchell, according to CaughtOffside. The 25-year-old is out of contract in the summer and is free to start discussing a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of England on January 1.
Mitchell has not yet committed himself to Palace and has a host of clubs including Barcelona and Milan looking at him as an option. Arsenal are said to be in talks with Mitchell already but will have to wait until June to get a deal completed as he could be snapped up by those across Europe first.
football.london says: This is a weird one. Mitchell is a very solid player but not one it looks like Arsenal are missing. His profile is of a more reserved, defence-first full-back, strong in the tackle but not great going forward. He isn't the sort to invert or become a midfielder.
On a free it is hard to argue but the list of options Arsenal already have for left-back is exhaustive. Currently, all of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelley, Jurrien Timber, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Trippier, and Riccardo Calafiori can play there.
Come next year it might be that Kiwior and Tierney leave, perhaps even Zinchenko too, but there is still plenty of options for Arteta. Mitchell just doesn't look like he will add anything that is really missing, even if there is no doubting his qualities.
Kolo Muani loan
Paris Saint-Germain and those representing Randal Kolo Muani have offered Arsenal the chance to complete a surprise mid-season loan next month, it is claimed. With Arsenal looking to find a replacement for Bukayo Saka, the Frenchman is eyeing new opportunities after a continuation of his disappointing spell in his country's capital.
Chelsea have also been granted the chance to sign Kolo Muani but there is no interest from the club to take up the offer from PSG, football.london understands. He has only started two league games this season.
Having signed for over £80million in 2023, Kolo Muani's stock has fallen and Luis Enrique is looking elsewhere for his striker needs. Manchester United, Newcastle, West Ham, Juventus, Napoli, and Borussia Dortmund are described as looking at Kolo Muani for themselves.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are also reportedly keeping an eye on Mohammed Kudus, Bryan Mbeumo, and Arda Guler.
football.london says: Arsenal will need an attacker but there are better names and options than Kolo Muani. The fact he can play across the frontline is appealing, especially as he could reasonably do a job on either wing as well as upfront in order to add extra combinations for Arteta with Kai Havertz, but the rest doesn't really do much selling.
It has been two years since Kolo Muani was at his best and a mid-season loan is not usually the sort of scenario to get someone back to their peak. Maybe the new environment could unleash the talent which was shown at Eintracht Frankfurt, but it feels a risk, especially given the delicate nature of the loans Arsenal already have.
The issue is that any of the names which could really make a difference would all be unattainable in January. Arsenal can't afford to wait until the summer to get a Saka replacement, they need it now if the second half of the campaign is to take them on to new heights.
This makes the prospect of a six-month move for Kolo Muani and no obligation to buy a bit more possible but there are still too many issues for it to play out.
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