Matt O’Riley looks set to return to the Amex after Marseille agreed to end his season-long loan early.
Bouaddi is meant to be very serious, though I’m not sure where he’d fit in Arsenal’s midfield nor if, given the options he’ll have, he’ll pick a team where he’ll not be behind Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.
Otherwise, Neves is a good player but slow; he’d not offer the goals Merino somehow has, but he’s a better footballer, likewise Tonali, though I’d be shocked if he could be plucked from Newcastle.
A suspected broken foot suffered by Mikel Merino during their defeat to Manchester United last weekend could have major implications for Arsenal’s plans on deadline day. It was confirmed on Sunday evening that the Spain midfielder will have surgery in the coming days and is expected to miss a substantial part of the season, with Mikel Arteta keen to replace the player who has also filled in as a striker in recent months.
He may be regretting allowing Ethan Nwaneri to join Marseille on loan earlier this month but Arsenal have been linked with Ruben Neves - the former Wolves midfielder who is at Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia – and Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. They are also understood to have targeted Lille teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi, although any move for the 18-year-old is likely to cost in excess of £40m after he signed a new contract in December.
