Arsenal to Make January Funds Available for Mikel Arteta - Interest Retained in Dayot Upamecano

​Arsenal could make a move for RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano in January, with the club prepared to back new head coach Mikel Arteta with money to spend during the winter transfer window.


The Gunners have shown steady signs of improvement since Arteta's appointment in north London, but once again it was Arsenal's defensive problems and individual errors that left them empty-handed against Chelsea.


Arsenal have never been too keen to splash the cash on new signings during the January transfer window, but The Mirror reports that the club will make funds available to give the squad a much-needed facelift in the new year - with Upamecano still a top target.

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Aside from a high-profile move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2017, Arsenal's most expensive signing in the winter window actually came back during their Invincibles season when they lured the late José Antonio Reyes away from Sevilla for £18m.


But, promisingly for fans in north London, Arsenal's new decision-makers appear to have learned from their mistakes from last season.


The club opted to bring just Denis Suárez in on a short-term loan as their only signing last January, with Arsenal going on to throw away their place in the top four and miss out on qualification to the Champions League.


It's not claimed if a proposed move for Upamecano has come from Arteta, but as Arsenal's interest in the Frenchman has lasted for some time it's easy to guess that it would actually be Raul Sanllehi - ​he's already admitted his admiration for the defender - or Edu Gaspar who are the architects of any move.


Upamecano would apparently be available for around £40m in the January transfer window as he only has 18 months left on his contract.

But RB Leipzig won't be eager on selling him at any price before the end of the season as they're in the middle of a title fight in the Bundesliga, while star centre-back Ibrahima Konaté is also being eased back from a long-term injury.


As another option, it's also suggested that Arsenal might look to recall William Saliba from his loan spell at Saint-Étienne.


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Source : 90min