ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta could be forced into an emergency transfer before the window slams shut on Thursday.
Despite the Spaniard’s recurrent hints of another addition before deadline day, Arsenal have not signed anyone since Oleksandr Zinchenko made the move to North London last month.
With no official bids currently on the table, the chances of sealing a deal before the 11pm curfew are looking increasingly slim.
But, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny set for a spell on the sidelines with injury, the Gunners could make a late swoop to bolster their midfield options.
SunSport have considered five midfield prospects that Arsenal could attempt to snatch up before the deadline.
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Youri Tielemans
Tielemans has been linked with a move to the Emirates since the transfer window opened in June.
The Belgium international recently made it clear that he wants to leave Leicester and with less than 12 months remaining on his current deal he has become available for a cut-price fee of just £20million.
Arsenal had reportedly been waiting for his previous £40m price tag to be slashed so now would be the perfect opportunity for club chiefs to table an offer.
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Ruben Neves
Another name on the long list of players Arsenal have been linked with is Neves.
The Wolves midfielder has been hailed one of the Premier League’s top talents since arriving at Molineux in 2017.
He plays an integral role in Bruno Lage’s squad, so a substantial fee would be needed to attempt to reach an agreement.
Arsenal have already struggled to negotiate a deal with the West Midlands side for top target Pedro Neto, who was valued at £45m, so Arteta may be deterred from going into business with them again.
Neves is claimed to be valued at a whopping £75m so the Gunners may be more inclined to opt for a more affordable player.
Danilo
Arsenal reportedly lodged a late £20m offer for Palmeiras midfielder Danilo on Tuesday which was rejected.
The 21-year-old regularly takes up a more defensive role for the Brazilian side so he could be the perfect candidate to compensate for the absence of Elneny and Partey.
The Gunners may have to increase their offer to £21.5m if they want to prise him away from Palmeiras.
Matt O’Riley
Celtic youngster Matt O’Riley is also on Arteta’s radar.
The English-born Denmark U21 international, who has been hailed a “proper player” by Kenny Dalglish, has impressed for the Scottish Premiership champions this season.
He claimed two assists during Celtic’s 9-0 thrashing of Dundee United on Sunday.
And his form has attracted interest from both the Gunners and Manchester United.
The Bhoys are understood to be expecting £20m for the centre midfielder – a fee of which Arsenal would likely be willing to match.
Miralem Pjanic
Although Pjanic hasn’t been directly linked with a move to Arsenal, he could be an easy capture ahead of deadline day.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has fallen out-of-favour at Barcelona.
He spent last season on loan with Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas where he made 26 appearances across all competitions.
But, he is yet to feature for Xavi’s side this campaign.
Pjanic has two years remaining on his current contract, but cash-strapped Barcelona could allow him to leave for a reduced fee before the window shuts.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
