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Hello and welcome to Sportskeeda's daily Arsenal transfer roundup.
For three successive seasons, the Gunners have missed out on all the action in the UEFA Champions League. In a bid to qualify for the top four, the Gunners have splurged cash to sign Nicolas Pepe, William Saliba and Kieran Tierney last summer. However, judging by the current situation, they look nowhere close to even finishing in the top six.
The search for Arsenal's next manager is still ongoing and the club must start performing in order to keep the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. On that note, let's look at the latest news and gossip surrounding the club.
Lucas Torreira's encouraging comments on his time at Arsenal
Lucas Torreira's second season at the Emirates did not start off well. He was played out of position and frequently left on the bench by Unai Emery. That led to widespread speculation that he might leave in January in search of more game time. In the last few fixtures, he is finally back to his preferred playing position and he has since provided a positive update regarding his future.
According to the club's official website, Torreira was quoted saying,
"Being here and having those experiences is amazing, so I try to look at the positives and enjoy it all."
"After all, I've learned a lot over this past year, especially about going through tough moments. As my dad always tells me, football isn’t all happiness. At times, footballers have to go through difficult times, which is normal for everyone, not just footballers."
With his encouraging reflection, Torreira might be indicating that he is staying put in London.
Preference for currently available managers
The Telegraph has reported that Arsenal are keen to hire managers who are unemployed and available to take charge of the club at once. It's been a week since Unai Emery has been sacked and the Gunners are still in search of a new manager, with the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Mikel Arteta and Mauricio Pochettino all linked to the job. Ljungberg's first two games in charge have been far from convincing and the club must act fast.
In addition, Leicester City are set to offer Brendan Rodgers a contract extension to fend off interest from Arsenal. It appears that to get their season back on track as soon as possible, the North London club will have to focus on currently available managers.
Massimiliano Allegri updates clubs on his availability
Massimiliano Allegri has finally spoken up about his future as the Italian manager is currently linked to the vacant managerial positions at Arsenal and Bayern Munich. The former Juventus manager has confirmed that he will not be taking up a job until June and has been learning English. In an interview, Allegri explained,
"Giovanni [Branchini, Allegri's agent] and I immediately came to that decision. As soon as the relationship with Juventus came to an end the decision was to take a year out."
Regarding his English lessons, the 52-year-old revealed,
"I am taking lessons here in Milan. I manage to speak quite well. I find the listening part a bit more difficult."
If Arsenal are looking to appoint Allegri as the new manager, it looks like they will have to wait until the summer.
Former Arsenal target Wilfried Zaha tipped to leave Crystal Palace
Wilfried Zaha's agent, Federico Pastorello, has suggested that the player could leave Crystal Palace in January. In an interview with Sky Sports, his agent opined,
"I think he really deserves a new challenge and a top club, because he is really a top player. It is surprising me because I read about a possible move in the summer but he stayed again."
"But this season he is proving that he is very focused and concentrated. So think he could be another good opportunity in the January market."
In the summer transfer window, the 27-year-old came close to joining Arsenal but Crystal Palace had demanded £80 million. Eventually, the Gunners went on to sign Nicolas Pepe from Lille.
Come January, if Zaha were to force a move and he comes at an affordable price, many Premier League clubs including Arsenal will likely be on the lookout for him.
