Incredible double raid on for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta eyes two Premier League stars in midfield revamp
Tyler Adams and Moises Caicedo during Leeds vs Brighton
Arsenal could sign two Premier League midfielders this week as Mikel Arteta wants players from Brighton and Everton to join, according to a report.
Arsenal completed their first winter signing on Friday. They captured Leandro Trossard from Brighton, with BBC Sport claiming the deal to be worth £21million plus add-ons. The Belgian winger has penned a long-term contract which will keep him at the Emirates until June 2027.
After improving his attacking ranks with Trossard’s arrival, Arteta has also bolstered his defence with the signing of Jakub Kiwior. The centre-back, who represents Poland on the international stage, has joined Arsenal from Spezia for £20m.
After Kiwior’s move to north London had been confirmed, Gunners sporting director Edu said: “We’re delighted to have completed the signing of Jakub Kiwior.
“He’s a young talent who we’ve been monitoring for a while now. We are now all looking forward to working with Jakub and seeing his continued development with us.
“We welcome Jakub to Arsenal.”
Arsenal are now turning their attention to their next January transfers. And it could see two midfielders join from rival Prem sides.
According to the Evening Standard, Arteta wants Arsenal to battle Chelsea for Moises Caicedo. Chelsea have already had a £55m bid rejected for the Ecuador World Cup star. They are expected to return with an improved offer worth £65m, but it seems competition will arrive from Arsenal.
Arsenal to challenge Chelsea for Moises Caicedo
Arteta will know how tough it will be to get Caicedo ahead of Chelsea. After all, the Blues have already spent over £190m this month and are showing no signs of slowing down.
But Arteta believes a new midfielder will be crucial to Arsenal continuing their Prem title push and getting to the trophy at Manchester City’s expense. As such, he is hopeful Edu will launch a big-money move for Caicedo.
A double swoop might be on the cards, too. That is because Arsenal also hold an interest in landing Amadou Onana from Everton.
The 21-year-old cost Everton £33m when joining from French outfit Lille in August 2022. While the Toffees have struggled this season, leading to Frank Lampard’s sacking, Onana has been one of their best performers.
On Monday, it emerged Chelsea were hoping to raid Everton for Onana. Earlier on Tuesday though, Arsenal were tipped to add him to Arteta’s squad.
The Evening Standard backs up both reports, claiming a transfer tussle between Arsenal and Chelsea is imminent for Onana.
Both players would be good signings for Arsenal. Despite only beginning their respective Prem journeys in 2022, Caicedo and Onana have gained plenty of admirers since then.
Caicedo and Onana would help long-term Arsenal strategy
They are both 21, too, which means they would help to future-proof Arteta’s midfield. This is something that will soon be required given the fact Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny are 30, while Thomas Partey is 29.
Arteta does have 23-year-old Albert Sambi Lokonga in his squad, although he is not at the same level as Caicedo or Onana right now.
It is unclear how Declan Rice fits into all this. He has begun leaning towards an Arsenal move as his West Ham contract runs down.
The England star would be a phenomenal signing for Arsenal, as shown by his performances in recent years with West Ham and at international tournaments.
However, Rice will likely cost more than Caicedo and Onana. This could explain why Arsenal are looking at other targets.
