Arsenal learn price for Jan buy with Barcelona ‘betrayal confirmed’ after talks over ‘three superstar signings’
Arsenal are ‘very interested’ in signing Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen in the January transfer window, according to reports.
The Gunners were faily active in the summer transfer window, adding quality to their squad after a successful 2023/24 campaign which saw them finish second behind Manchester City in the Premier League.
David Raya joined permanently from Brentford after spending last season on loan at the Emirates Stadium, while Mikel Merino, Riccardo Calafiori and Raheem Sterling also arrived over the summer.
Arsenal have a solid centre-back partnership in the form of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes but now Spanish publication Nacional claims that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is ‘tempting a Barca player to betray Hans-Dieter Flick and pack his bags in January’.
The north Londoners, who have a huge derby against arch-rivals Tottenham on Sunday, are ‘very interested in being able to secure the services’ of Christensen in January.
After spending time at Chelsea previously, Christensen ‘would not need a period of acclimatisation to the Premier League’ and Arteta ‘has already initiated contacts with the ’15’ and with his representatives to convince him to leave the Camp Nou’.
Injury has ruled him out for Barcelona until December but the ‘betrayal of Barça [is] confirmed’ and the Catalan giants ‘are willing to sit down and negotiate with Arsenal and any team that intends to present a formal proposal’.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta will not accept anything less than €30m for the Denmark international but Arteta is ‘convinced that this investment is worth making, and that it is a risk-free bet’.
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Football Insider have claimed on Saturday that ‘Arsenal made moves to sign three attacking stars this summer before agreeing their last-gasp Raheem Sterling deal’.
‘Preliminary talks were held over a deal for striker Benjamin Sesko, 21, and wide forward Nico Williams, 22, before they opted to stay at RB Leipzig and Athletic Bilbao respectively.
‘The Premier League side also made an enquiry for Jamal Musiala but were emphatically knocked back by Bayern Munich.’
New signing Sterling was dreaming of a phone call to join Arsenal and prove his doubters wrong, Gunners boss Arteta said at a press conference on Friday.
Arteta said: “His first words were: ‘I was dreaming about this call’. That’s it. That tells you that he really wants it and was already thinking about the possibility and he could see himself here, delivering and enjoying his profession.
“After 10 seconds I knew we had to bring him (to Arsenal) because he really wanted it, and that was my only question mark, what stage is he at in his career? But after 10 seconds I knew.
“He looks great. He has got a big smile on his face, a lot of energy and he wants to prove a point. When someone has got that in their belly you sense it straight away. I don’t need to discuss his quality and what he can bring to the team.”
Sterling hasn’t had the best time at Chelsea but Arteta added: “His confidence is going to fluctuate, as it does in everybody’s career.
“Knowing him and how he is, it is about always playing, always being present and that is important to him.
“When you have that status and role, and for that to be changed, that hits you. We have to rebuild that but we have all the foundations and right context for him to get to the level we want.
“We are going to try to give him everything that we believe is going to help him and empower him to get the best version of him. We will see daily how that looks.”
