Arsenal strike agreement for most dramatic deadline day signing since Mesut Ozil: report
Arsenal could be about to break the internet (again) with a superstar arriving
Arsenal have made huge Deadline Day signings before. They're in talks for another again.
The Gunners shocked football 10 years ago when they brought in Real Madrid A-lister Mesut Ozil in for a club-record deal. It was something particularly out of character for the club, who have avoided those kind of Deadline Day moves since.
Neto has already joined on loan from Bournemouth for the rest of the season. It seems though that there could be one more shock in the offing.
David Ornstein, Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports News are all reporting on a big u-turn from Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are back in talks over a move for Raheem Sterling – with Romano now saying that the Gunners have an agreement with the player, pending a deal being agreed between the two clubs.
Chelsea have made it clear that the England star has no future while Enzo Maresca is manager, and with Sterling's squad number now distributed to Pedro Neto, the writing is on the wall for him at the club. Time is running out for this transfer window, however, for Sterling to find a new club.
VIDEO Why Arsenal Wanted Mikel Merino So Badly
Arsenal are said to only be interested in a low-cost move. This is forcing Chelsea's hand, somewhat – with Victor Osimhen set to arrive and the club sweating on keeping Sterling around for half a season.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
In FourFourTwo's opinion, this could be a masterstroke of a deal for Arsenal. The Gunners don't need another forward given that they have six attackers for their squad but the opportunity to add depth of Sterling's calibre and experience would be worth taking at the right price.
Arteta has shown, too, with Kai Havertz and Jorginho that he can rehabilitate players from Stamford Bridge. Incidentally, the last player to have played for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, was Nicolas Anelka.
Sterling is worth €35 million, as per Transfermarkt. His contract at Chelsea expires in 2027.
More Arsenal stories
Ademola Lookman is ready to reject Arsenal as his preferred move takes significant step. Arsenal could make a transfer u-turn amid six-team chase, while the Gunners have been handed a transfer lifeline after record deal falls through.
Reports say that Arsenal are to replace Eddie Nketiah with a proven striker in a cut-price deal. Meanwhile, Arsenal's 'best-ever' academy graduate has confirmed his exit, in another blow for Gunners.
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.