Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners make bid for EFL starlet amid Wilson U-turn

Arsenal have been linked with a deadline-day move for a young Championship striker, as the Gunners are seemingly on the lookout for a hot attacking prospect before the transfer deadline.

The Gunners have created a six-point gap at the top of the Premier League after their win over Leeds United was followed by Aston Villa and Manchester City dropping points.

However, their victory was somewhat overshadowed by injuries to Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino, with the latter set to miss a considerable period after breaking a bone in his foot.

Despite this, coupled with Mikel Arteta’s claims that his side will be actively looking in the closing stages of the market, most of the noise surrounding Arsenal on deadline day concerns young attacking talents.

Arsenal were thought to be in talks over a loan move for Hearts youngster James Wilson, although manager Derek McInnes told Sky Sports News on Monday afternoon that communication with the Gunners had not progressed since Sunday.

It has since emerged that Arsenal have made a bid for 17-year-old Blackburn Rovers forward Igor Tyjon.

According to reporter Alan Nixon, the Gunners had placed a £1m offer on the table, only for Rovers to turn it down.

Nixon claimed on his Patreon account (as per TEAMtalk) that Blackburn want more to part ways with Tyjon.

However, there appears to be an acceptance that they may not receive much more for the England U18 international, given his contract is up in the summer.

Most intriguingly, it was said that Blackburn may be open to a deal “before close of play”.

That means all parties will have to move fast to do a deal, though there may be appetite on both sides to come to an agreement.

Only Arteta can say what the long-term thinking is in N5, as a bid for Tyjon, or indeed a loan deal for Wilson, is not an obvious remedy to their current squad issues.

Mikel Merino has been used as an auxiliary striker on occasion this season, so perhaps there are still concerns over the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz to remain fit until the end of the campaign.

However, you would imagine it is central midfield that would suffer most from Merino’s layoff, even with players like Eberechi Eze and Christian Norgaard available to slot in from the sidelines, while Arteta only handed Andre Harriman-Annous a full first-team debut three months ago.

Why a more established attacking target is not being pursued is another curiosity, as breaking into Arsenal’s frontline while all senior attackers are fit appears nigh on impossible.

What is clear is that Arsenal seem keen to do some very late business.

Graduated in Sport Journalism (BA) with first-class honours from the University of Brighton and has since had bylines in The Times, sports business publication SportsPro, Football FanCast and The Gooner fanzine.

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