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Arsenal will host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Emirates on Wednesday (November 9) in the third round of the EFL Cup. Mikel Arteta's wards are in sparkling form, winning 1-0 at Chelsea last weekend to return to the Premier League summit.
Meanwhile, former Gunners midfielder Ray Parlour has advised the club to sign a Leicester City midfielder in January. Elsewhere, the north London side face competition from Liverpool for the services of a Lens midfielder.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on November 9, 2022:
Ray Parlour urges Arsenal to sign Youri Tielemans in January
Ray Parlour reckons Arsenal need a midfielder and a striker in January to continue their siege on the Premier League title. The Gunners have enjoyed an outstanding run under Mikel Arteta this season and are among the favourites to win the league.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Parlour urged his club to sign Youri Tielemans in the winter. The Belgian's contract expires next summer, but he's unlikely to sign a new deal.
"January is going to be very important for a lot of clubs. There might be a little bit of money there for Arteta to say: ‘we need another midfielder, we need a Tielemans’," said Parlour.
Parlour added that his former side also need another No. 9 as a backup for Gabriel Jesus.
“They need a backup striker in case Jesus gets injured. I know they got Nketiah, but sometimes you need that extra striker as well up there who is going to get you the goals to win the league," said Parlour.
Jesus has appeared 18 times for the north London side this season across competitions and has scored five goals.
Gunners face Liverpool competition for Seko Fofana
Arsenal will face competition from Liverpool in their quest to sign Seko Fofana, according to L'Equipe via Caught Offside.
The Ivorian midfielder has caught the eye with his dominant displays for Lens recently. The 27-year old has appeared 79 times for the Ligue 1 side since joining in 2020 and has scored 14 goals.
Although Fofana doesn't fit into Arteta's youth-centric transfer policy, it's easy to see why the Gunners are interested in him.
The north London side lack a backup for Thomas Partey, with Mohamed Elneny failing to impress. Arteta could use a player of Fofana's ilk, but Liverpool are plotting to ruin his plans.
World Cup could hamper Arsenal's Premier League title bid, says Paul Merson
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes that the World Cup could put a dent in the Gunners' title challenge.
The north London side are atop the Premier League after 13 games. Arteta's wards will play Wolverhampton Wanderers next in the league on Saturday before the season halts to accommodate the quadrennial sporting spectacle in Qatar.
In his column for Sky Sports, Merson said that the break may not be ideal for his former side, as they are flying.
"You've got to say it's not going to help them because they're flying. As we talk today, they are title contenders after the Chelsea result. I thought they were absolutely brilliant. When they have played badly at Leeds and Southampton, they haven't been beaten. That's what it's all about," wrote Merson.
The Englishman went on to add that the players not involved in the World Cup could struggle to maintain the intensity.
"You'd have to say it will harm them. It certainly doesn't help. We know if they kept going at this rate, they're playing so well. It's the unknown. I find it's the players who are not going away that are the ones who are going to struggle. It's a long time without football," wrote Merson.
He continued:
"Alright you can have a couple of friendlies, but it isn't the same intensity. I don't have any worries for the players who are going to the World Cup and going to be playing. It's the norm. I think it doesn't help Arsenal generally. I don't see how the break ends, and they come back exactly how they left off. It's going to be a hard ask."
The Gunners have won 11 league games this season and lost just once.
