5 players who could leave Arsenal in January as Serie A clubs plan raid

Arsenal are still very much in the hunt for the Premier League title, although it will not be easy from here, given that they will have to rely on Liverpool and Chelsea slipping up to bridge the gap.

As such, Mikel Arteta may be keen to re-shape his squad this January, which means a number of players could be on the move to make way for new arrivals. Here, we take a look at five players who could be on the move this winter.

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1

Kieran Tierney

Linked to: Celtic

If it wasn’t already clear that Kieran Tierney is not part of Arteta’s plans going forward, it was recently revealed the left-back’s contract will not be extended beyond the end of the season, when it is due to expire.

As such, the Douglas-born defender will be free to leave the Gunners permanently at the end of the season, though there are indications that a deal could be done even earlier.

Sky Sports reports that Celtic are looking to bring the 27-year-old back to Parkhead next month, currently exploring a pre-contract and loan offer.

There are signs that the full-back could be keen on a move back to Scotland given his comments about his former club when asked about a potential return on a podcast back in 2022, saying:

“I think when a player who loves the club leaves, there’s always that, ‘what if he comes back’, and you can’t rule anything out.

“I’m always going to love Celtic, I’m always going to support Celtic, so you never know in football.”

The move would presumably see the Scotland international move north of the border for an initial loan spell before making his deal permanent in the summer.

Given that Tierney is no longer in Arteta’s first-team plans, a move away this winter makes perfect sense.

2

Jakub Kiwior

Linked to: Napoli

Speaking at the end of November, Sky Sports reporter Gianluca Di Marzio suggested the Gunners would be open to sanctioning Jakub Kiwior’s departure this winter amid the defender’s links to Napoli, saying:

“Napoli have asked about Kiwior’s situation and now Arsenal are open to loaning him.

“Antonio Conte is wondering if he is good enough to play for Napoli because he is not playing for Arsenal, but they will definitely ask and try to loan him. Now is the time for him to go back to Italy because he has to play.”

More recently, however, reports have suggested that Arteta is keen to keep the Poland international as he values his versatility.

That said, with the 24-year-old’s adviser pushing for a move this winter, an exit is seemingly still a real possibility, and a loan move is seemingly the most likely scenario.

3

Takehiro Tomiyasu

Linked to: Napoli, Inter, Juventus

Much like Tierney, Tomiyasu’s persistent injury problems mean he has been unable to force his way into contention for a regular starting spot at the Emirates Stadium.

This season, the Japan international has been sidelined with a knee injury, limiting him to just six minutes of action in the Premier League, while he is thought to have been unhappy with his place in the squad for a considerable period of time.

Back in September, it was reported that the 26-year-old was “ready to leave” the Gunners amid interest from a whole host of Serie A clubs, namely Napoli, Inter and Juventus.

At the time, a fee of around £16.7m would have been enough for Arteta to sanction the defender’s departure, although it remains to be seen how much the interested parties are willing to offer in January.

4

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Linked to: Inter

Arsenal could be set for a number of departures in the full-back department this January, as Zinchenko’s future at the club also remains in doubt.

Although the Ukrainian has suffered with a few injuries this season, he has found game time hard to come by even when fully fit, starting just two Premier League games having fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium.

Serie A clubs are keen on a number of Arsenal players, and Zinchenko is no different, with Inter said to be interested in signing the left-back.

The Italian giants have set their sights on the 28-year-old due to his international experience and versatility, and there is a belief that a deal could be done for an accessible price due to his lack of prominence this season.

However, it remains to be seen whether Arteta would be willing to let the full-back leave given that a number of defenders are being linked with moves away this winter, which could leave the manager a little light on options.

5

Gabriel Jesus

Linked to: Palmeiras

Jesus has undoubtedly put in his best performances of the season in recent weeks, bagging a hat-trick against Crystal Palace to book the Gunners’ place in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup before notching a brace against the Eagles in the Premier League.

However, the Brazilian has been less than impressive in the Premier League this season, having not provided a goal or assist in 13 outings prior to the Gunners’ recent trip to Selhurst Park, which has cast doubt over his future in north London.

Back in September, it was reported that Arsenal would be willing to sanction the striker’s departure for a fee of around £33m – a figure that Brazilian outfit Palmeiras may be willing to match in order to facilitate his move back to his former club.

With a new attacker on Arteta’s agenda amid links to Dusan Vlahovic, the manager may be forced to make space in his squad if he wishes to strengthen this January, meaning Jesus could well be on the chopping block in light of his bad form.

Although the vast majority of the players linked with moves away this winter are defenders, Jesus’ potential departure could be the most crucial in the race for the Premier League title.

Arsenal’s goalscoring woes were typified by their drab 0-0 draw against Everton earlier this month, which could prove to be a costly two points dropped. As such, signing a new striker should be at the top of Arteta’s list of priorities this winter.