Arsenal are expected to be very active up until Tuesday evening's transfer deadline as they continue to push for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. A marquee forward addition would cap off the perfect summer window for the Gunners, having spent over £200million already on Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Ezri Konsa. They missed out on Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers and attention has firmly shifted to Alvarez, who wants to leave Madrid, but his sights are set on Barcelona. Atletico have ruled out selling him to a La Liga rival, however. Here, Express Sport has taken a look at six deals Arsenal could still make before the window closes in less than 48 hours.
Gabriel Martinelli - Sell
Gabriel Martinelli is set to finalise his move to Saudi Arabia imminently. It was revealed last week that Arsenal had accepted an offer exceeding £50m from Al-Hilal. Despite limited developments in recent days, the transfer is not believed to have encountered any obstacles and his permanent departure is nearing completion. Martinelli will exit as the Gunners' record sale, having arrived from Brazilian fourth-tier outfit Ituano in 2019 for merely £6m. The Brazilian winger leaves north London as a Premier League champion, having been instrumental in the project.
Julian Alvarez - Buy
With just hours remaining in the transfer window, the Alvarez situation still appears unresolved. Reports over the weekend indicated Atletico requested a final decision from the player by Sunday, given the uncertainty over his future. Alvarez and his inner circle last week conducted a five-hour discussion to determine whether the Argentine forward would move to Arsenal or remain at Atletico, with his dream switch to Barcelona having been prevented by Atletico hierarchy. Neither prospect particularly appeals to the 26-year-old World Cup winner, who is reluctant to return to England and has seen his relationship with Atletico supporters deteriorate after being jeered by his own fans last weekend. Currently, reports indicate that a move to Arsenal is Alvarez's least favoured choice, as he already informed Arteta directly that he doesn't want to join. However, until the player or Atletico confirm his decision, there remains scope for a late development, thanks to some deadline day Andrea Berta magic. A late transfer agreement would be reminiscent of the time Mesut Ozil moved from Real Madrid in 2013.
Ethan Nwaneri - Loan
Arsenal can make additional business after Alvarez and it remains unclear whether Ethan Nwaneri will depart Arsenal before the window shuts. Earlier this summer, the 19-year-old was reportedly eager for a transfer elsewhere to gain the crucial playing time that will probably evade him this season. However, the highly regarded midfielder's exit has become more complex, with Sky Sports reporting that he wishes to remain in north London unless an appealing proposal emerges from another Premier League club. Nwaneri is reluctant to venture abroad again after his disappointing loan spell at Marseille earlier this year. Meanwhile, Arsenal's position is that they would rather send him out on loan, though they will weigh up a permanent proposal if the figure is too substantial to reject. Arteta himself conceded earlier this month that it makes little sense for Nwaneri to remain, given the competition for a midfield berth and the youngster's need to secure more playing time to support his development. Following reports of numerous clubs showing interest in the teenager, there could still be a late loan switch on the horizon for the Hale End graduate.
Andria Bartishvili - Buy
Arsenal are poised to finalise the signing of 17-year-old Georgian prodigy Andria Bartishvili. The attacking midfielder, dubbed 'the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia', will complete his medical on Monday. This follows the Gunners reaching an agreement worth £3.85m for the teenager. Nevertheless, Bartishvili can only link up with the Premier League champions once he reaches 18 next year.
Fabio Vieira - Sell
Among the most protracted transfer stories of the entire window has been the possible departure of Fabio Vieira. Hamburg are pursuing the player, who evidently has no place at Arsenal under Arteta, after he caught the eye for the Bundesliga outfit on loan last term. It now looks as though a deal is close after it emerged on Sunday that the German club are in advanced discussions to purchase Vieira for £8.6m. There is a mounting belief in north London that a deal will be concluded before Tuesday's deadline, making this among the more probable deals to materialise before 11pm tomorrow.
Gabriel Jesus - Sell
Another player Arsenal have found it difficult to secure buyers for this summer is veteran striker Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian's substantial wage expectations have seemingly deterred various potential suitors, including Napoli and Turkish clubs. Nevertheless, reports on Sunday suggested that the Gunners have now finalised an £8.57million deal with Barcelona for the star. It is understood he will undergo a medical at the Nou Camp today (Monday) before completing the transfer.
