Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta eyes £100m midfield duo before transfer window shuts as key player suffers ‘concerning’ injury
MIKEL ARTETA has confirmed that Arsenal are still in the market for another midfielder before the transfer window closes.
The Premier League leaders have already spent £48million this month on Leandro Trossard and Jakub Kiwior.
But now Arteta wants to add another holding midfield player before Tuesday’s deadline amid concerns that Mohamed Elneny could have played his last game for the club.
With just five days left to complete any further business, Everton’s Amadou Onana and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi are on Arsenal’s radar.
And the need for reinforcements has been intensified by Elneny’s knee injury, which is feared to be far worse than initially suspected.
The 30-year-old Egypt international is in the last year of his Emirates contract, although the club has the option of extending it by further 12 months.
And there are concerns Elneny could be sidelined for the rest of the season by the injury which he suffered in training two weeks ago.
Arteta admitted: “Mo has had some issues with his knee that we are assessing and we will have to see how he evolves in the next couple of days.
“There are concerns about the injury because he’s a player who never complains about anything.
“We need more cover in midfield but it’s pretty complicated to do that in this market.
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“But if there’s anyone available who can make us better we will look at it.”
Arsenal have already rejected Monaco’s request to take Albert Sambi Lokonga on loan for the rest of the season as he is currently their only available midfield cover for Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.
But neither Onana nor Zubimendi will come cheaply, with both players currently valued at around £50million by their clubs.