Arsenal in "advanced talks" to seal first 2025 signing as £51m deal planned

Arsenal are now in advanced talks to secure their first signing of 2025, with manager Mikel Arteta handed a much-needed bit of good news after a very turbulent last few days.

Arsenal lose Gabriel Jesus to injury with January targets identified

The loss of striker Gabriel Jesus, who had scored six goals in his last seven games, is a real cause for concern for the Gunners – after he was taken off in the first-half of Arsenal’s FA Cup third round defeat to Man United.

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There is an expectation that Jesus could miss the rest of the campaign as a result of an ACL injury, leading to Arsenal entering the January market for a striker who can replace the in-form Brazilian.

Pundits and fans alike have urged Arteta’s side to get one through the door as soon as possible, including Piers Morgan, who says the days for calm are now over after Jesus’s latest setback.

“How many times have I been on your show in the last three years since [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang got shoved out the door,” said Morgan on talkSPORT.

“He was a genuinely world-class striker in my opinion and had an amazing scoring record for Arsenal. Alright, Arsenal didn’t want him. Fine. So who are you going to replace him with? The reality is, I’ve very calmly, each time I’ve come on, politely suggested that we need to sign a proper striker. The days for calm are now over… we need a striker.

“If you want to win big trophies you’ve got to be ruthless and you’ve got to sign the best players.”

Arsenal have just Kai Havertz as their main option up top, so the necessity for another forward is clearly there.

Meanwhile, both Thomas Partey and Jorginho will be out of contract at the end of this Premier League campaign, and this has intensified talk of the north Londoners bringing in a new midfielder.

Jorginho is said to have held talks with Palmeiras via his agents and may even consider an exit as early as January, but according to Fabrizio Romano, supporters may be able to start getting excited, as the club close in on Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal in advanced talks to sign Zubimendi ahead of the summer

As per Romano, backing The Mail‘s original report, Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Zubimendi – who looks very likely to be joining from Sociedad at the end of this season.

Negotiations are now underway with the Spain international over personal terms, and it is believed Arteta’s side are planning to trigger Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause.

While there are still hurdles to cross, this comes as very promising news from a reliable source. Zubimendi has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for a long time, and Arteta is rumoured to be a serious admirer of the 25-year-old who’s stood out as a mainstay star for Sociedad.

The defensive midfielder was also a regular in Spain’s Euro 2024-winning team, and boasts plenty of experience at the highest level.