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Arsenal chief executive flies in to Dortmund for Aubameyang talks: Monday's transfer news and rumours

Arsenal chief executive flies in to Dortmund for Aubameyang talks: Monday's transfer news and rumours

Arsenal will welcome Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the club imminently with the deal set to be announced on Monday after Alexis Sanchez was caught pictured in a Manchester United kit on Sunday.

The pair are the subject of an extraordinary swap deal between the two Premier League giants as Arsenal look to reinvigorate their front line.

And another player believed to be key to that is Borussia Dortmund’s wantaway forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon international was disciplined by the club last week after missing a team meeting and has not played for Dortmund since before their winter break as a result.

He is a £53m target for Arsenal and although Arsene Wenger insisted on Saturday that, while the Gunners were interested, there were still “nowhere near” a deal.

However, they might have been getting a little bit closer come Sunday after chief executive Ivan Gazidis was spotted in Dortmund in an attempt to push the deal for Aubameyang through before the 31st January deadline.

He employed a similar tactic last summer when he and Wenger flew out to Monaco in the close season to speak about Kylian Mbappe and, although unsuccessful, it worked in getting a quicker answer.

Speaking on Saturday, Wenger said: “We are nowhere near anything with Dortmund. They are responsible for their own statements. I cannot stand up for what they say. If we sign somebody, we’ll announce it. I half-announced Sanchez against Mkhitaryan, because that’s likely to happen. All the rest: we are not close at all to anything.”

Pavon opens door to move

The Independent broke the news last month that Arsenal were interested in replacing Sanchez with Boca Juniors youngster Cristian Pavon in what would be a £32.5m move for the 22-year-old.

Juventus and Manchester City were both tracking the winger but Arsenal are understood to be the closest to pulling off the move for the Argentinian international who made his international debut last year.

When quizzed on his future ahead of Boca’s Superclasico defeat to rivals River Plate, Pavon said: “One always gives the maximum so that other teams love you. I wish it was fixed, I said at one point that I was going to stay but, well, I still do not know anything.

“I prefer to play games and not be focused on what happens outside. I will sit down to talk with my manager [Fernando Hidalgo], with my family, and I will see what happens.”

Team president Daniel Angelici said at Carlos Tevez’s unveiling that they were yet to receive any proposals for the player.

"For the moment, we have not received any proposal, formally or informally. For now, they are all rumours, as always, just comments in the corridors.

“But I know very well what I said to Cristian when we renewed his contract. I am not going to cut off his career, but we made him a nice contract so that he would be comfortable. We put a release clause in the contract just in case clubs like this appear.

Other rumours around the web

Chelsea are preparing to grab Roma duo Edin Dzeko and Emerson Palmieri in a £44 million raid on the Serie A club, according to reports. The Guardian says Roma want an extra £13.2 million after a first round of talks last week. Negotiations are due to resume today, the paper says.

The Blues could also snap up Burnley striker Ashley Barnes to add more power to Antonio Conte's attacking ability, according to The Sun. The clubs are yet to arrive at a figure, although super-agent Pini Zahavi is said to be involved in securing a deal for the 28-year-old former Torquay and Brighton player.

Latest transfer news, gossip and rumours from the January window

Bristol City's £7m-rated left-back Joe Bryan is at the heart of a battle between Everton, Newcastle and Brighton, according to reports. The Daily Mirror says Magpies boss Rafa Benitez has been given the go-ahead to snatch the 24-year-old.

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge could be moving away from the Premier League as part of a loan deal, the Daily Mail reports. After no time on the pitch since early December, the 28-year-old is eyeing a spell at Sevilla in order to improve his World Cup chances, the paper says. The La Liga side are said to be willing to pay the striker's wages until the end of the season.</p