Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta will already be planning what to do in the January transfer window, which is fast approaching.
It only seems like yesterday that the summer transfer window closed, a time that was a triumph for Arsenal.
While the issue of depth has been resolved, some cracks are beginning to show, particularly in midfield.
Declan Rice is irreplaceable in the role he plays for Arsenal, which could tempt Berta to consider signing a midfielder in January, something Manchester United might have the answer to.
Arsenal could explore Kobbie Mainoo transfer opportunity
Man United have a history of humiliating Arsenal in the transfer window, most notably through the captures of Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez.
An emerging narrative could see the momentum shift, as ESPN’s Mark Ogden mentioned Arsenal when discussing Kobbie Mainoo’s future.
Speaking on the ESPN FC podcast, Ogden predicted Mainoo to have an ‘interesting window’.
“United would prefer to keep him, I guess, but as we know, United are happy to let players go, our homegrown players.
“PSR situations, it happened with Garnacho in the summer to Chelsea. So I think Kobbie Mainoo will have an interesting window.”
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Ogden then mentioned Arsenal, sharing that the Englishman is a player that the Gunners ‘could look at’ if one situation played out.
“I don’t think he will go to Arsenal, but I think he’s a player that Arsenal could look at if they were getting to the end of the window and they did a short-term option to be a cover option for Martin Odegaard.”
Ruben Amorim doesn’t consider Mainoo to be a starter at Man United, failing to hand the 20-year-old a single start in the Premier League this season.
It would be a shock to see a Man United academy graduate join Arsenal, but it wouldn’t be the first time after the Gunners captured Danny Welbeck in 2014.
Bukayo Saka is a fan of Kobbie Mainoo
The idea of Arsenal signing Mainoo is rather startling, but based on the midfielder’s quality, very few would dispute the move if it ever came to fruition.
If you could sign one England international at Arsenal, who would it be?
One England player can join Arsenal right now, who would you select and why? 👀
One figure who would certainly approve of the transfer is Bukayo Saka, who is an admirer of Mainoo, having played alongside the youngster seven times for England.
In the summer of 2024, Saka described the Man United star as ‘very mature’ and a player whose talent is impossible to ignore.
“Since day one in training, we can all see his talent, and he’s got a lot of quality,” Saka said at the time.
It would be a surprise to see the two players link up in red and white, but stranger things have happened.
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