Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Benjamin Sesko claim, Matheus Cunha update, Victor Osimhen latest

Welcome to fooball.london’s latest live blog where we will bring you all the latest Arsenal transfer news and gossip in the January transfer window.

Arsenal are yet to make new additions to their squad and a forward is thought to be top of the list following the ACL injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian left Arsenal short in the final third and as a result a host of names for attack including Nico Williams, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen and Liam Delap have been linked with a move.

On the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side dropped points in their fight for the Premier League title, drawing 2-2 to Aston Villa at home. Their focus will now turn to the Champions League when they host Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday (8pm kick-off).

The Gunners are third in the table and in a healthy position to progress to the knockout stage of the competition. While our main focus here will be on bringing you all the transfer news and rumours, we will also bring you all the latest Arsenal news, views and transfer gossip.

Barça NewsTrust & confident: The secret sauce of Barcelona defender’s success this season

Alejandro Balde has been in the news lately due to an unfortunate reason. The Barcelona defender was the subject of racist chants during the game against Getafe this past weekend.

Balde has since received immense support from the club and his teammates, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino has also condemned the racial abuse that happened in the Getafe stadium.

Balde: A renewed beacon for Barcelona

Notwithstanding the unfortunate event that transpired over the weekend, Balde has been enjoying a great season in Catalonia.

Once sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the youngster has returned with a vengeance and has become a key operator in the Barcelona defender under the leadership of Hansi Flick.

As reported by Diario SPORT, this is all thanks to some meticulous planning by the Barcelona board. The decision to wait until the end of the season for his return was strategic, focusing on strengthening his right leg, vital for a player known for his explosive pace.

This approach has paid dividends as Balde now showcases performances that have fans and critics alike singing his praises.

What makes Balde tick under Flick?

Even though it was Xavi Hernandez who was the key behind Balde’s breakthrough at Barcelona, the former coach, in many ways, failed to properly utilise the qualities of the left-back.

The previous tactical setup didn’t fully exploit his speed and transition play, often leaving him running “on half throttle.”

However, Flick’s arrival has changed the narrative. Recognizing Balde’s potential, the coaching staff has tailored a training regimen that pushes him to his physical limits, treating him as the ‘beast’.

This season, the focus has been on leveraging Balde’s unique genetic gifts. The training sessions are designed to not just recover but to enhance his natural abilities.

Barcelona’s struggles in La Liga highlighted by one key statistic this season

The euphoria over Barcelona’s recent Spanish Super Cup triumph has dissipated in the Catalan camp, no thanks to a draw with Getafe.

The disappointing result allowed Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to further extend the gap at the top of the league table, while Barça, for their part, are experiencing their worst run in La Liga in 50 years.

Indeed, the  have racked up just six points out of a possible 24, which has greatly impacted their chances of reclaiming the league title this season.

Following the draw with Getafe, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was quick to highlight how the team failed to take advantage of their opportunities in the final third.

Although the team did not fail in creating chances, the final end product was simply lacking and that is why the second goal never came through.

In many ways, the draw with Getafe was a microcosm of Barcelona’s season so far, especially after the initial honeymoon period under Flick.

As pointed out by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s shortcomings in converting opportunities have been backed by statistics as well.

It appears the Catalans are leading La Liga in terms of most chances missed this season, with a staggering total of 55 missed chances in just 20 matches.

This is significantly higher than second-placed Real Madrid, Real Betis and Atletico Madrid, who have all missed just 36 chances respectively.

This tally is an indicator of how Barcelona have not been as clinical as they were in the first few months of the campaign. This has coincided with Robert Lewandowski’s loss of form, which is indeed an alarming sign for Barça.

Arsenal plot unexpected Victor Osimhen transfer move as two exits proposed in £25m swap deal

Arsenal are actively working to bring in new players in the January transfer window, according to Mikel Arteta. Injury issues have been frequent for the Gunners boss over the last few weeks and that has seen him send a number of pleas to those above him.

Strengthening his attacking options is the obvious priority with Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko among those linked, with Victor Osimhen still seemingly an option.

Despite that requirement, some of the focus has seemingly been on agreeing a deal for Martin Zubimendi to join from Real Sociedad in the summer, with a new report emerging on exactly how Arsenal will go about acquiring his services.

Osimhen move explored

Arsenal are exploring a move for Osimhen as they look to bolster their attack, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke. The Nigeria international is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli with the expectation being that he will depart Italy on a permanent basis this summer.

Two exits proposed in Zubimendi swap deal

Spanish outlet El Nacional have claimed that Arsenal have offered Real Sociedad £25million, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior for Martin Zubimendi. The Gunners look set to capture his services ahead of the 2025/26 season over the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.

Arsenal transfer news: Alexander Isak drops hint on future as star prices himself out of move

It had seemed like Mikel Arteta’s men would have the chance to close the gap on Liverpool at the Premier League summit with the Reds struggling to find a way past a resolute Brentford. But a quickfire brace from substitute Darwin Nunez piled the pressure back on the Gunners, who let a two-goal lead slip against Aston Villa to fall further behind their title rivals.

Alexander Isak may be at the top of Arsenal’s wishlist, but the sought-after Sweden international is happy at Newcastle.

Isak had been in red-hot form prior to Saturday’s shock 4-1 loss against Bournemouth. And while he blanked against the Cherries, his deadly finishing has generated interest from The Emirates.

With Arsenal seemingly in desperate need of a striker, moving for Isak is a move which has been called for. But not only would Newcastle demand a premium price for their talisman, the player himself has reiterated how happy he is at St James’ Park.

He told TNT Sports on Saturday: “Everywhere you go in this city, everyone is loving Newcastle, which is special. It is the best feeling I have had in my career. Scoring goals in front of these fans, it is special.”

Barcelona in-form superstar feels ‘happy and privileged’ to be one of the club captains

Raphinha has enjoyed a superb turnaround this season. From being a second-choice player for Xavi Hernandez, the Brazilian has become an attacking lynchpin for Barcelona, under the leadership of Hansi Flick.

Flick’s trust in Raphinha has been repaid well by the player, who has been involved in 31 goals in just 29 competitive matches this season.

In light of his brilliant performances, Raphinha, in a recent interview, has opened up about his early career challenges as well as his mental health.

Raphinha on challenges at Barcelona

Raphinha talked about his turnaround at Barça, especially now that he is one of the leaders in the team.

Raphinha also opened up about the fact that his struggles at Barcelona forced him to seek health, as he was facing challenges with regard to his mental well-being.

This is not the first Raphinha talked about his challenges concerning mental health, as the forward has been very open about it in the past as well.

Raphinha on early career challenges

The former Leeds United forward went on to reveal some of the early career challenges he faced, due to his lack of physique.

Barcelona confirm massive Dani Olmo blow ahead of Benfica clash as fears grow over longer absence

Barcelona have been hit by an injury blow to key playmaker Dani Olmo ahead of their next game against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Olmo complained of muscular discomfort in his calf after featuring as a substitute in the LaLiga draw against Getafe on Saturday and Barca have now confirmed that he will be out of the midweek match against the Portuguese side.

Barcelona, who are now third in the La Liga table and five points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, can qualify automatically for the next stage of the Champions League against Benfica.

However, the loss of Olmo will be a blow for Hansi Flick’s side – especially after his impressive showing against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey.

Flick is likely to give an update on how much time that Olmo is likely to miss at his press conference for the Benfica clash on Monday.

Barca were only granted provisional permission to register Dani Olmo and Pau Victor by the Spanish national sports council (CSD) at the start of the month.

The players, both summer signings, were only registered for the first half of the season as Barcelona could not meet LaLiga’s wage cap restrictions.

They had initially been rejected by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga in their efforts to register the duo.

However, the CSD stepped in on January 8 following an appeal by the club to grant a precautionary measure and allow the pair to play in the short term.

Arsenal are now in contact for ‘world-class’ striker after Man Utd fail with £59m bid

Arsenal are now actively trying to sign a lethal striker after the injury to Gabriel Jesus, with a report claiming how much Manchester United have already offered for him and the result of their bid, while a well-known pundit has sent a warning to the Gunners against bringing him to the Emirates Stadium.

With Jesus now on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, Arsenal are on the hunt for a new striker in the January transfer window. Mikel Arteta has admitted that the Gunners need more firepower, with the north London club still having the chance to beat Liverpool to the Premier League title this season.

Among the strikers Arsenal have their eyes on is Victor Osimhen. The 26-year-old is on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli at the moment and has been flourishing at the Turkish giants.

Described as a “world-class striker” by Fenerbache head coach Jose Mourinho, Osimhen has scored 14 goals and given six assists in 18 matches in all competitions for Galatasaray so far this season.

The Nigeria international striker found the back of the net 17 times and gave four assists in 32 appearances for Napoli in the 2023-24 campaign.

Arsenal received commitment from 13-goal striker over transfer, as £70m bid beckons from Gunners

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has reportedly already declared his willingness to join Arsenal, handing a fresh incentive to the Gunners over a deal.

Arsenal are in need to add more firepower up top. That seemed the case when their central attacking options of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were not pulling up any trees.

But the latter is now injured, probably for the season, and Bukayo Saka is also out for months. With that said, Mikel Arteta has detailed his desire to add to his depth up top.

Links to Leipzig’s Sesko are frequent, the striker has already signalled his desire to head to the Emirates.

Indeed, it’s believed he favours a move to Arsenal over any of their Premier League rivals, and a “gentleman’s agreement” will let him make the move in the summer.

That he is keen on playing at Arsenal is said to give the club an incentive to land Sesko, who has 13 goals so far this season.

Though there is reported new interest in the Slovenian from Barcelona, their financial restrictions mean they are not likely to cause many problems for the Gunners.

Arsenal consider £70m bid

With an incentive on the table, Arsenal could soon go after Sesko, and a recent report has stated that they are weighing up a £70million bid.

That is one that they would seemingly make in January, if they decide to go for him over a short-term loan for another attacker.

But with Sesko said to be able to leave Leipzig in the summer, the Gunners might be better served waiting.

Declan Rice sends honest Arsenal title race message after Aston Villa collapse

Arsenal midifelder Declan Rice has said that the team have to keep believing after suffering a blow in their hopes of chasing down Liverpool for the Premier League title at the end of the season.

The Gunners watched on on Saturday afternoon as Liverpool scored two stoppage time goals against Brentford to take all three points. Arsenal were in action just a couple of hours later as they hosted Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz saw Mikel Arteta’s side take a 2-0 lead, as they looked on course for all three points. But they were pegged back thanks to second half goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins.

Arsenal did think that they had retaken the lead with just three minutes left to play through Havertz. But VAR intervene with replays showing that the ball had come off his arm, meaning that the goal was disallowed.

The game ended in a 2-2 draw with the Gunners having to settle for a point. The results mean that the gap to Liverpool now stands at six points with Arne Slot’s side having a game in hand.

Despite the disappointment of the two points dropped, Rice has called on the club to maintain belief that the gap can be closed between now and the end of the season.