Arsenal are closing on a bargain deal for a solid Bundesliga defender in January, Chelsea are plotting a giant move for Erik ten Hag’s top Manchester United target, while Thursday’s Transfer Gossip claims Tottenham are set for a £26m midfielder deal.
EVAN N’DICKA SET FOR CUT-PRICE ARSENAL MOVE
Arsenal are closing on a deal to sign Evan N’Dicka as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his options in the second half of the season.
The Gunners are currently riding high at the top of the Premier League with nine wins from their 10 games. But questions remain over two aspects of their side, which some observers still feel they are vulnerable in.
To that end, Arteta remains desperate to bolster his midfield positions, with a surprising £60m deal being mooted for January.
And it is also in the centre of defence where Arsenal are also seen as weak with questions still raised over the consistency of Gabriel Magalhaes.
The Brazilian has formed a solid central defensive partnership with William Saliba this season. However, Gabriel has shown he still has an occasional mistake in him.
And while they do have Ben White as cover, he has been playing well as a right-back.
As such, the Daily Express claims Arsenal are looking to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star N’Dicka in January.
The 23-year-old Frenchman has established himself as one of the leading centre-halves in the Bundesliga.
N’Dicka also wanted in Italy by Milan and Juventus
Having started his career at Auxerre, he moved to Frankfurt in 2018 on a five-year deal. However, that arrangement is due to expire next summer – leading to plenty of interest elsewhere.
N’Dicka is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement overseas from January 1, with both AC Milan and Juventus keen.
However, it is Arsenal who are ready to snare him before the Italian pair with a cut-price January move.
Frankfurt are reportedly seeking around £10m for his sale in the winter window. However, the Gunners are reportedly confident of signing him for a cut-price fee of £7m.
N’Dicka has been followed by Arsenal scouts for more than two years now and he very much fits in with their transfer policy.
Arsenal’s decision to move early for the player could spark a bidding war with Milan and Juve considering rival offers.
But the Gunners are well placed to outbid their rivals, having already registered their interest with the player’s entourage.
Gabriel, meanwhile, was strongly linked with Juventus earlier this year.
However, the Brazilian insisted he was happy in north London, replying:
Gabriel insisted he feels “at home” at the Emirates Stadium: “I feel good, I feel at home at Arsenal. It’s a great squad to be a part of and together I am sure we can achieve a lot. I am very happy here.”
VICTOR OSIMHEN EMERGING AS TOP CHELSEA TARGET
Chelsea boss Graham Potter is making a move for Victor Osimhen his top target in 2023, claim reports.
The Blues boss has made an excellent start since moving into the Stamford Bridge hotseat and remains unbeaten.
But Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with Brentford illustrated a lack of a cutting edge in front of goal. And while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has largely done well, at 33, he cannot play on forever.
To that end, Chelsea want to make a huge striker splash in 2023. And 90min claims they are hot on the trail for Napoli hotshot Osimhen.
The 23-year-old has established himself as one of the most sought-after strikers in world football.
Indeed, Manchester United are very much on his trail with Erik ten Hag reportedly seeing him as a dream successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, reports claim it a move to Stamford Bridge looks more likely.
Blues owner Todd Boehly has shown that money is no object when it comes to attracting the game’s top starrs. And that is just as well with Chelsea likely to have to shatter their transfer record to sign Osimhen in a £100m-plus deal.
Napoli are currently top of Serie A and are not entertaining sales in January. But a huge offer in the summer may well twist their arm.
TOTTENHAM TO LAND £26M FOR UNWANTED STAR
Tottenham are hoping to add £26m to their transfer coffers in January with Napoli ready to make Tanguy Ndombele’s loan stint permanent.
The midfielder moved to Spurs in summer 2019 for a fee of £55m, making him their record signing at the time.
However, his time in north London never really took off and he struggled to illustrate the form he had done with Lyon.
A return to the Ligue 1 side on loan last season also failed to work out. But a summer switch to Napoli does appear to be bearing fruit.
Indeed, he has now made 11 appearances for Napoli, though just four of those are starts.
However, the Daily Express claims they have seen enough to turn the move into a permanent deal.
And the two clubs put in place a £26m fee to make the transfer a full-time switch. That will see Tottenham lose over half their initial investment.
However, with Ndombele having no future at the club, the addition of £26m to their kitty will be most welcome.
Reports on Wednesday claimed Antonio Conte would be granted a mammoth 2023 transfer kitty as part of their plans to offer the Italian a major new contract.