The January Transfer Window - 2018

[Kaney]

Pretty much.  Arsenal thought we could lowball Dortmund because Aubamayang was wanting to leave but now they've called our bluff, we're kinda shitting ourselves and trying to figure out what's meant to happen next.

[Baddar]

It's alright, you can sign another Lucas Perez instead.

[MDK]

Or beat Chelsea to signing Crouch 

[Gazz]

Pietro Pellegri has signed for Monaco for 25m Euros. He's 16.

[FLiam]

I have read similar things, we're haggling over a few million. It's pathetic. 

Then we hear things such as "The club has to live within it's means etc". Not being funny, we have cash in the bank and plenty of it. Also, why would be in negotiations for a player that is knowingly going to cost upwards of £50m?

We have made another £30m profit this window already with Walcott and Coquelin leaving, plus around £150,000 a week off the wage bill, added to the profit made in the summer there is really no excuse not to cough up a few extra million quid for a player that will make a huge difference to our squad. If the club is serious about making a challenge, this is where they have to show it. 

I have seen various people trying to blame Wenger for this as well, which is equally pathetic. This is down to the board, not Wenger.

[The Lusophone]

Don't Arsenal have literally the most profitable stadium in the country?

[Lineker]

Celtic are close to agreeing a deal to take Chelsea winger Charly Musonda on an 18-month loan.

[FLiam]

4 hours ago, MadJack said:

Don't Arsenal have literally the most profitable stadium in the country?

Pretty much.

Also,

Amazing addition if this one goes through.

[MDK]

Trump will hate this signing 

[Adam]

Arsenal must be trying to throw Giroud onto a plane to Dortmund.

[Baddar]

Brighton have signed Ulloa from Leicester on loan until the end of the season.

[Baddar]

Newcastle have enquired about signing Daniel Sturridge on loan.

[Lineker]

Quote

Arsenal have reached agreement in principle with Borussia Dortmund over the club record €63m(£55.5m) signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, though the Bundesliga side will only sanction the completion of the deal once they have secured a replacement.

Negotiations have been on-going for Aubameyang for a fortnight, with Arsenal always confident a deal could be concluded this month after the player made clear he was keen to move to London. A three-and-a-half year contract has been agreed with the Gabon forward believed to be worth £180,000-a-week, though reaching compromise with Dortmund has proved more problematic.

An Arsenal delegation led by the chief executive Ivan Gazidis, and including the new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat and Huss Fahmy, who works on player contracts, spent time in Westphalia last week, with talks having continued in the period since. Reports in Germany suggest a deal was settled in principle over the weekend for a player who moved to Dortmund in 2013 and has proved prolific, if controversial at times, ever since. The 28-year-old had been championed by Mislintat, who had been instrumental in securing him at BVB from Saint-Étienne.

Yet Dortmund have made clear that they must secure a forward replacement for the outgoing Aubameyang before the transfer is formally signed off. There have been talks with Arsenal over Olivier Giroud – that would be a separate deal, if agreed, rather than a swap – though the Frenchman is apparently reluctant to leave London mid-season and could still be more tempted by a move to Chelsea.

Anthony Modeste, who joined the Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian from Cologne last summer, has been mooted as a potential addition, but would cost around €30m(£26.4m). Michy Batshuayi, scorer of a brace for Chelsea on Saturday but a player who would be permitted to leave on loan if a replacement is secured before Wednesday’s cut-off, is another option the German club may pursue.

 

West Ham United have confirmed that striker Diafra Sakho has joined French Ligue 1 club Rennes on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee.

Stoke City are in advanced talks with Galatasaray over a £15m purchase for Senegal midfielder Badou Ndiaye, Sky Sports News has been told - but it’s emerged they are facing real competition for his signature from Inter Milan.

Roque Mesa is close to completing a loan move to Sevilla, according to Sky sources. The Swansea midfielder is in Spain ahead of a potential medical as the clubs finalise the details.

Crystal Palace have made an offer for Lille midfielder Ibrahim Amadou, according to Sky sources. But the £2m loan fee with an option to buy has been dismissed by the French club. They regard the offer as derisory and believe Amadou is worth £20m and prefer a permanent deal. However, Lille's financial issues mean they could sell for less.

Tommy Elphick will join Reading on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season.

Schalke will complete the permanent signing of Chelsea defender Baba Rahman tomorrow. Rahman spent last season on loan at Schalke. He'll sign an 18 month contract.

West Ham are in talks to sign former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle, according to Sky sources. Pelle plays in China for Shandong Luneng where he earns £1 million a month.

[Kaney]

If we swap Alexis for Mhkitaryan and upgrade Walcott to Aubamayang, plus possibly add a defender while we're at it, this could seriously be the best January window I've seen for Arsenal.

[Gazz]

Yeah, should guarantee 5th.

[FLiam]

28 minutes ago, Kaney said:

If we swap Alexis for Mhkitaryan and upgrade Walcott to Aubamayang, plus possibly add a defender while we're at it, this could seriously be the best January window I've seen for Arsenal.

Agreed. People laugh that we lost Alexis to United, but to be honest, if we get this one over the line and add a defender then we're in a much better place than we were at the beginning of January. 

Alexis hasn't been right since the start of the season and Theo Walcott played about 60 minutes of Premier League football.

I just hope we don't let Giroud go anywhere, as we need him for Europe as Aubamuyeng will be cup-tied I believe.

[Lineker]

2 hours ago, Baddar said:

Newcastle have enquired about signing Daniel Sturridge on loan.

Sounds as if he is off to West Brom now.

[Lineker]

Athletic Bilbao have confirmed that Aymeric Laporte's release clause has been triggered

West Bromwich Albion have signed defender Ali Gabr from Zamalek FC on loan until the end of the season. Albion will have an option to buy the Egypt international at the end of the season.

[Lineker]

Roma left-back Emerson Palmieri will have a medical in London tomorrow ahead of a move to Chelsea. The Edin Dzeko deal is off, however, because of wage demands and the length of contract requested.

Sky sources: Fulham reject £18m bid from West Ham for Tom Cairney.

[Lineker]

Sky sources: Tottenham reach agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for winger Lucas Moura. Moura’s move is subject to personal terms and medical, and the fee is understood to be around £25m.