Caicedo, Zubimendi, Rice - why midfield is Arsenal's top transfer priority

Stuart Telford

• 27 Jan 2023 15:36 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal have been linked with a move for each of Moises Caicedo, Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice in recent weeks. Why are the league leaders so desperate for a central midfielder?

Arsenal have raced to the top of the Premier League this season, and lead champions Manchester City by five points with a game in hand at the midway point of the season.

Further, their midfield has been winning plenty of plaudits, with Thomas Partey providing the steel to Martin Odegaard's silk, while Granit Xhaka looks like a player reborn having contributed three goals and five assists to their cause.

READ: Arsenal submit third Moises Caicedo bid - Fabrizio Romano

And yet bids have been launched for Caicedo and Zubimendi in recent days, so what is going on?

Midfield a long-term target

"A new player in midfield was a long-term target for the Premier League leaders, but this has been exacerbated by injury concerns over Mohamed Elneny," explains the Athletic's David Ornstein.

"The north London club do have considerable funds to strengthen the squad in this window, as shown by their failed pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk."

Arsenal's final bid for Mudryk was around €70 million, the Gunners then usurped by Chelsea who put together a €100m package - €70m up front with €30m to follow in add-ons - to sign the winger from Shakhtar Donetsk.

READ: Three reasons Arsenal are better off with Trossard than Mudryk

Brighton reportedly turned down a £60m bid from Arsenal for Caicedo and are holding out for closer to £100m. A similar amount was offered to Real Sociedad for Zubimendi but the player himself turned down the transfer, although he might be open to moving in the summer.

The Gunners are yet to test West Ham's resolve regarding Rice, but it is thought the player himself would rather join them than his former club Chelsea given the uncertainty currently surrounding Stamford Bridge.

Elneny faces months on the sidelines with a serious hamstring injury while Belgian youngster Albert Sambi Lokonga has yet to fully earn Mikel Arteta's trust, making cover behind Partey and Xhaka pretty thin on the ground.