Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Gunners eye Viktor Gyokeres, Odegaard position switch, Eddie Nketiah EXCLUSIVE – updates

Gunners linked to Sporting Lisbon striker

Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in signing Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sporting Lisbon striker has 17 goals this season.

Gyokeres, joined the Portuguese outfit from Coventry City for around £17.3m.

Fans hoping Spaniard has plans for window

Sitting top of the Premier League table, Gunners' fans know they need a striker desperately.

They will be hoping Mikel Arteta has something planned to fill that void.

While Ivan Toney has been spoken about, it is unlikely Arsenal will be able to spend the money Brentford want for the player in the transfer window and remain within FFP guidelines.

Osimhen's new deal

Napoli confirmed Arsenal transfer target Victor Osimhen has signed a new contract with the club.

Osimhen was linked with a host of Europe’s biggest clubs over the summer as the Gunners, Manchester United and Chelsea chased his signature.

After a move failed to materialise, the Premier League giants were then put on red alert after a controversial TikTok post left the striker contemplating suing his employers back in September.

Then it emerged that the Blues were leading the race to try and sign the Nigeria international - despite the reigning Italian champions working hard to secure their talisman to a new long-term deal.

Now the West Londoners and their Prem foes may have to wait a little longer to get the 24-year-old after he finally penned an extension.

The Partenopei confirmed the news on social media with a post that was captioned with “together until 2026” and a picture of Osimhen and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis sitting in front of them.

Roud not to

Arsenal hero Olivier Giroud's brother Romain ditched football as a youngster to pursue a completely different career.

Romain played for Auxerre and represented France at Under-15 and Under-17 level as a centre-back.

The 46-year-old played alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet and Nicolas Anelka as a teenager but never made it as a professional.

Instead, the Frenchman decided to become a full-time nutritionist.

License to Yil

Juventus wonderkid and Arsenal transfer target Kenan Yildiz scored a stunning solo goal for on Saturday.

Yildiz bagged his first ever goal for Juve during a 2-1 victory at Frosinone.

The brilliant moment comes as the Gunners continue to be linked with a move for the forward.

The North Londoners' manager Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window as they look to remain top of the Premier League table and the 18-year-old is among his targets.

The Turkey international's current contract expires in 2027, so Arsenal will likely have to table a significant offer to convince Juventus to sell.

Frank's Ronaldo prank

Boxing promoter Frank Warren joked Cristiano Ronaldo is returning to the Premier League for Arsenal.

Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo linked up with Warren in Saudi Arabia to watch Anthony Joshua beat Otto Wallin.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had a front-row seat as the camera caught him sitting next to Tyson Fury's promoter.

That was when the 71-year-old, who is a big Arsenal fan, decided to tease football fans watching from home by suggesting he convinced CR7 to move to the Emirates.

Warren said on camera: " He's signing for Arsenal."

Work of Arth

Tottenham are aiming to pull off a stunning £25million swoop for Royal Antwerp wonderkid and Arsenal target Arthur Vermeeren in January, reports SunSport’s Jack Rose.

Vermeeren is only 18 years old but played a major role in leading Antwerp to a first Pro League title in 66 years last term.

Spurs, the Gunners and Chelsea have all sent scouts to watch the midfielder play this season.

The Belgium international, though, is also attracting the attention of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.

But Ange Postecoglou's side have leapt to the front of the queue as they fancy a deal similar to the one which brought Destiny Udogie to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 18 months ago.

Top of the tree

The Premier League title race is hotting up with Arsenal top of the table.

It is of course all about being top of the table in May but leading the way during the festive period is often a good omen.

In 30 Prem seasons, the team top at Christmas has ended up lifting the title 16 times.

More below:

1992: Norwich City - finished 3rd
1993: Manchester United - finished 1st
1994: Blackburn Rovers - finished 1st
1995: Newcastle United - finished 2nd
1996: Liverpool - finished 4th
1997: Manchester United - finished 2nd
1998: Aston Villa - finished 6th
1999: Leeds United - finished 3rd
2000: Manchester United - finished 1st
2001: Newcastle United - finished 4th
2002: Arsenal - finished 2nd
2003: Manchester United - finished 3rd
2004: Chelsea - finished 1st
2005: Chelsea - finished 1st
2006: Manchester United - finished 1st
2007: Arsenal - finished 3rd
2008: Liverpool - finished 2nd
2009: Chelsea - finished 1st
2010: Manchester United - finished 1st
2011: Manchester City - finished 1st
2012: Manchester United - finished 1st
2013: Liverpool - finished 2nd
2014: Chelsea - finished 1st
2015: Leicester City - finished 1st
2016: Chelsea - finished 1st
2017: Manchester City - finished 1st
2018: Liverpool - finished 2nd
2019: Liverpool - finished 1st
2020: Liverpool - finished 3rd
2021: Manchester City - finished 1st
2022: Arsenal - finished 2nd

Biggest one-man team?

Arsenal's Invincibles are the biggest "one-man team" to win a Premier League title this century.

The Gunners famously won the Prem unbeaten in the 2003/2004 season but goalscoring stats have now shown that Arsene Wenger's side were incredibly reliant on Thierry Henry's form in front of goal.

Research from BonusCodeBets.co.uk into the biggest "one-man teams" in the Premier League during the 21st century has revealed some surprising results.

The data was produced by analysing every goal scored in the Prem since 2000 and the North Londoners' 2003/2004 side were found to have the highest proportion of goals scored by one player in a title-winning side.

Henry's 30 league goals accounted for a whopping 41 per cent of his team's total tally, with the proportion rising to 60 per cent when paired with Robert Pires' 14-goal haul.

The legendary forward came out on top ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's 39 per cent contribution for Manchester United in 2007/2008 and Erling Haaland last season, with his 36 strikes powering Manchester City to glory.

Champions League latest

Arsenal and other Premier League sides may not know until April if they will have a fifth Champions League place next season.

And the finger of blame is directed at Euro flops Manchester United and Newcastle.

Uefa changes to coincide with the competition’s extension to a 36-team league format allow an extra place for the two best-performing nations in the previous campaign.

That is calculated by averaging the “coefficient points” accrued by each club for wins, draws and qualification for future rounds, by the number of competing sides.

England finished in the top two in six of the last seven seasons, with the exception of the Covid-hit campaign of 2019-20.

But United’s nightmare efforts and Newcastle’s last gasp heartbreak, which saw both finish bottom of their group to miss out on even the consolation of a Europa League place in the New Year, mean England stand just outside the top two places at the end of the group phase.

Had either the Magpies or the Red Devils made the knockout stage, England would have been in top spot, while wins for either Liverpool or Aston Villa in the final Europa League or Europa Conference League match would have been enough for a top two spot.

Mannone remembers Arteta

Lille goalkeeper Vito Mannone isn't surprised with Mikel Arteta's success as Arsenal manager.

Mannone played with Arteta at the Emirates when the Spanish tactician was the club's captain.

Mannone told SunSport’s Alessandro Schiavone:

Even as a captain, Mikel always had this verve and leadership and he’s a great manager.

I hope he reaps the rewards of the job he’s done. Let’s hope it’s the right time.

Vito Mannone

Aaron Ramsdale advice

Ex-Arsenal ace Vito Mannone advised Aaron Ramsdale to weigh up his January options after falling down the pecking order behind Brentford loanee David Raya.

Mannone was understudy to Wojciech Szczesny at the Emirates before he jumped ship for Sunderland in 2013.

Mannone told SunSport's Alessandro Schiavone:

It’s not easy but in Ramsdale’s place I’d have taken it badly. My advice to him is to keep working.

I waited eight years before I became a Premier League regular, Emi Martinez had to wait ten years before stealing the show.

He also had many loans and paid his dues. But those who work and bide their time eventually end up making it.

But if Ramsdale’s moment won’t come again, he should look for it elsewhere! There’s not much else he can do.

I lost my place after a great year. It was tough to accept.

Vito Mannone

Eddie Nketiah reminder

Arsenal ace Eddie Nketiah will not be sold despite increasing interest from other Premier League clubs, reports SunSport's Alan Nixon and Joshua Hall.

Despite Nketiah's limited game time, the Gunners need him for their title chase and European commitments.

And the striker is still believed to be a crucial part of the squad to help the North Londoners continue to push for a first league title in 20 years.

On top of that, the England international offers an option to rotate as Arsenal hope to progress further into the Champions League this season.

The 24-year-old's goalscoring exploits haven't gone unnoticed by other top sides with interest in a potential transfer increasing among other Prem clubs.

Reports have linked both Brentford and Crystal Palace with Nketiah with other clubs said to be interested too.

Arsenal target Goncalo Inacio

Arsenal are keeping tabs on Sporting Lisbon star Goncalo Inacio, as per SunSport's Jordan Davies.

SunSport understands the Gunners are unlikely to be very active next month in terms of both incomings and outgoings.

But the North Londoners' boss Mikel Arteta is likely to prioritise reinforcements at the back in the summer with Inacio someone he is monitoring.

The centre-back made his senior debut as a teenager in 2020 and has risen to become one of the most exciting prospects in the Primeira Liga.

The 22-year-old has also broken into the Portugal national team under manager Roberto Martinez.

Consequently, Inacio has a £52million release clause in a contract that expires in 2027 and the Portuguese giants are prepared to hold out for an offer close to that value.

Ivan Toney alternatives

Arsenal have identified three alternatives in case they miss out on Brentford star Ivan Toney.

According to The Athletic, Toney is part of a four-man shortlist which includes Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Brighton's Evan Ferguson and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

However, it is unlikely a move will be made during the upcoming January transfer window.

The Gunners, though, may have to wait until the summer to land one of those targets.

Morning, Arsenal fans

Eddie Nketiah will not be sold despite increasing interest in the Arsenal hitman from other Premier League clubs.

Despite his limited game time, the Gunners need the 24-year-old for their title chase and European commitments.

Reports have linked both Brentford and Crystal Palace to the Arsenal striker with other clubs said to be interested too.

Note of his ability was taken by Gareth Southgate in recent months as well with Nketiah called up to the England squad twice and making his senior Three Lions debut against Australia in October.

Arteta has made his feelings about Nketiah clear and gushed over the academy graduate's ability following his hat-trick against Sheffield United earlier in the season.

He said: "He’s got an eye for goal. You look at his stats from the last 10 years. What he’s done is remarkable.

"He needs minutes, opportunities and service. If he gets that, Eddie is going to score goals, that’s for sure.

"He’s a great player for Arsenal. He can be better, yes. And the best thing is the talent that he’s got, but especially his mentality is incredible.

"When he has that mentality with that talent, he’s going to get much better.”

Christmas Number One

The Premier League title race is hotting up and Arsenal have put down a marker by guaranteeing their spot on top of the tree for Christmas Day.

Each team will have played at least 17 matches by the time fans tuck into their turkeys - a near half-way point in the season.

It is of course all about being top of the table in May - but leading the way at the festive time of year is often a good omen.

In 30 Premier League seasons, the team top at Christmas has ended up lifting the title 16 times.

That means 51.6 per-cent of the time the side maintain their spot in the new year.

No team has been top on December 25 more than Manchester United, who have done so seven times but not since 2013.

Eleven teams in total have been first at Christmas, including four who have never won the league such as, Norwich, Leeds, Aston Villa and Newcastle.

And only Villa have not managed to finish in the top four when top, coming sixth in 1998/99.

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Team news ahead of West Ham clash

Mikel Arteta escaped Anfield with no fresh injury concerns but the Gunners gaffer will be without suspended Kai Havertz who picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Liverpool.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), Fabio Vieira (groin), Thomas Partey (muscle) and Jurrien Timber (knee) all continue to be sidelined.

Elsewhere, David Moyes is expected to have Michail Antonio (knee) and Nayef Aguerd (muscle) unavailable for the trip to the Emirates.

Gunners full-back linked with move away

Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares has been linked with a move to Spanish side Villarreal.

The Gunners outcast has only featured just twice this campaign and a January move is said to be on the cards.

Arsenal's next five fixtures

Here is how the Gunners' run looks over the next few weeks.

Sandwiched in the middle is a 13-day break for the players to get some R&R.

Can Mikel Arteta's men keep up the pace at the top of the table?

• Dec 28 - West Ham (H) Premier League
• Dec 31 - Fulham (A) Premier League
• Jan 7 - Liverpool (H) FA Cup
• Jan 20 - Crystal Palace (H) Premier League
• Jan 30 - Nottingham Forest (A) Premier League