Arsenal have ‘already raised concrete offer’ for January signing which would thrill fans

As the Catalan press work through every conceivable Coutinho alternative, the time has come for Nabil Fekir to get some of the spotlight. Friday’s edition of Sport has the Lyon player on the front cover, and he also gets a double page spread inside the Catalan newspaper.

To bring this one into the Barcelona transfer drama fully, there has to be competition, and in this case that’s presented as Arsenal. Sport say Arsene Wenger’s side want to get ahead of the competition because of the possibility Alexis Sanchez could leave in the January window.

On Friday, Mundo Deportivo, another Catalan newspaper, report Mesut Ozil as a Coutinho alternative, so that could be another reason for Arsenal eyeing Fekir.

Arsenal have ‘already raised a concrete offer’ for the January window, according to Sport, and that would be hugely fan pleasing. It’s also hugely likely to fail, even if true, because Jean-Michel Aulas surely won’t sell his star player half way through the season, and especially not for the €50m figure thrown out there by Sport.

Those Arsenal fans who want to believe the possibility of signing Fekir in January, may remember comments from the player’s father talking a move up. In 2015, Fekir senior said: “Nabil would like to finish 1st or 2nd and play Champions League football with Lyon. If he leaves, it’ll be for Arsenal. It’s the only club that can enable him to progress, with Arsene Wenger. He will not go to Manchester City to sit on the bench.”