Arsenal have been reported to be interested in signing Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister but will not make a move for him in the January transfer window.
The Gunners are in desperate need of midfield and attacking reinforcements and have been linked to a few including Hale End academy graduate Yunus Musah, now at Valencia in Spain; Palmeiras prospect Danilo and Leicester City man Youri Tielemans.
Mac Allister, who plies his trade at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League, is a surprise name on the list of midfield targets for the Premier League leaders.
It is not much of a surprise following his exploits for Argentina at the just concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he bagged a player of the match award and was one of the best performing midfielders in the tournament.
Brighton got him to sign a contract extension of three years in October but could decide to let him go if the right price is tabled before them. However, Arsenal are said to be only monitoring the situation surrounding Mac Allister, whose performances with Argentina have seen a plethora of clubs contact Brighton as well as his representatives.
The Gunners are more interested right now in reinforcing other positions, one of which is their attack. This is thanks to the injury suffered by Gabriel Jesus in the World Cup, which has ruled him out for the next three months at least.
The decision to not go for Mac Allister could come back to haunt the Gunners as he would provide a dimension to their game that they currently do not have. However, it could be a smart financial decision as the formerly rated €8 million man could cost them four times his original value after his outing in Qatar.
Arsenal already have attacking midfielders in Emile Smith-Rowe, Martin Ødegaard and Fabio Vieira. While the Brighton man could add defensive cover to their attack thanks to his ability to also play as a central midfielder and even drop deeper, it could be a vanity buy for the 2003/04 Premier League champions.
Of the other midfield options so far reported, Palmeiras’ Danilo is the only other option that best suits what Arsenal needs in the midfield at the moment. Arteta likes Tielemans because of his profile and because he is experienced in the Premier League. However, he would cost more money than Danilo would.
The 21-year-old Brazilian is also a holding midfielder by trade who can function anywhere else if required. He would be able to help Thomas Partey stay on his toes while making Arsenal a lot more competitive as the crucial stages of the league begins.
Brighton may also not be willing to part with Mac Allister in the long run, as he has been a crucial part of their hugely successful Premier League campaign this season.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men sit in seventh place, which could see them play in their first European competition in their history if the season ends the way the table is at the moment.
Mac Allister is a key cog in that plan and they would want to hold on to him with Europe in their sights.
