Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has stated that the Gunners would keep a player who was supposed to be available for trade.
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After spending the first part of the summer buying new players, it was expected that Arsenal would spend the second half of the summer weeding off deadwood. The Athletic reports that Arteta is “open” to fresh additions.
The Spaniard has lost new acquisition Jurrien Timber for seven to nine months after the Dutchman suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the first game against Nottingham Forest at home, which looks to have put a stop to any more defensive exits.
According to reports, Saudi Arabian teams are interested in Brazilian center-back Gabriel, while Newcastle, West Ham, and Real Sociedad are interested in left-back Tierney. However, Arteta has refuted reports that either Gabriel Magalhaes or Kieran Tierney may leave the club before the transfer deadline on Friday, September 1.
“There are no intentions to do anything like it,” Arteta stated on Thursday morning, ahead of Monday’s trip to Crystal Palace.
“Well, he played in the final, so a guy that plays five days before in the final is part of the plans, for sure,” the Spaniard said of Tierney, who didn’t even make the bench last weekend but did play in the Community Shield against Manchester City.
While Gabriel was a regular at the heart of the defense last season, the addition of Timber alongside William Saliba may have pushed him out of the first eleven, while Tierney started just six games with new signing Oleksandr Zinchenko often preferred, and even the likes of Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu preferred on that side.
Although the club has already spent a lot on the Ajax star, as well as Kai Havertz and Declan Rice, the latter of whom cost over £100 million, things could change if Arteta feels the need to return to the transfer market to make up for the fact that Timber is now likely to miss a significant portion of the season.
Tierney is valued by Transfermarkt at €25 million.
