Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Set For First January Signing? Sanogo Exits?

Arsenal have now let a second player exit their squad this month, but look set to soon welcome their first arrival of the January transfer window. Following the departure of Lukas Podolski on loan to Inter Milan, France Under-21 striker Yaya Sanogo has also completed a temporary move away. The former Auxerre man, who has scored just once since his arrival in the summer of 2013, has joined relegation-battlers Crystal Palace for the rest of the season. Another young player, though, is on the verge of moving to the Emirates.

Having been in protracted negotiations with Legia Warsaw, Arsenal have made a breakthrough in their efforts to sign 17-year-old midfielder Krystian Bielik, reports The Guardian. Although it had been suggested in recent days that Hamburg were set to swoop in and secure the youngster’s signature, Arsenal could soon complete a 3 million euros (£2.4 million) deal. While good on the ball, strong in the tackle and capable of playing in either of the holding midfield or center-back roles where Arsenal are currently short on numbers, Bielik is unlikely to make an immediate impression on the first team.

Ipswich Town defender Tyrone Mings could perhaps have offered more immediate assistance, but his current manager Mick McCarthy is adamant that he won’t be going anywhere in the January transfer window. Arsène Wenger has previously revealed that the club has been tracking the 21-year-old, who has starred at left-back this season but is believed to be set for a future in the middle of defense. However, McCarthy sees no reason why one of his key players would leave midway through their attempt to secure promotion back to the Premier League.

“He’s not going anywhere,” he said, according to the East Anglian Daily Times. “You might as well hear that from me. He’s not. He’s a really good player and he’s not going anywhere. He might as well hear that as well. That’s always the case, they think ‘is it going to happen, isn’t it going to happen?’ Why would he not want to try and get promoted with us? We’re in a really good position.”

Arsenal have received more encouragement of a deal for one of their reported midfield targets. Sporting Lisbon’s highly rated 22-year-old William Carvalho was keenly linked with a transfer to the Emirates Stadium in the summer after a season in which he made his breakthrough into the senior Portugal team. Now, while insisting he will abide by Sporting’s decision, Carvalho has left little doubt that he is keen for a move to the Premier League.

“My dream is to play in England,” he told Portuguese publication Record, according to the Daily Mirror. “I know some clubs are interested but my agent Jorge [Mendes] is looking after it and I am relaxed. Now my mission is to work in Sporting and they will be in charge of any transfer and my future. That is very important.”

Arsenal are likely to be considerably more interested in Carvalho’s words of encouragement than those reportedly offered by the camp of Swansea City striker Bafetimbi Gomis. According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal have been approached about the possibility of signing the 29-year-old. Yet given Arsenal’s wealth of attacking options and that Gomis has made just five Premier League appearances, scoring once, since joining Swansea on a free transfer last season, the chances of him competing a transfer to the Gunners appear slim in the extreme.