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Football London
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Kaya Kaynak

Arsenal already have Moises Caicedo alternative, Sambi Lokonga exit, Partey injury hope

It's looking like it's going to be a frantic few days at the Emirates. Although football.london understands that Thomas Partey's injury which forced him off at half time against Manchester City is not serious, Arsenal still want to bring in a midfielder before transfer deadline day on Tuesday.

Brighton's Moises Caicedo is the man they appear to have focused their attention on after putting in a £60million bid on Friday. That offer was rejected by the Seagulls who seem determined not to sell. The Gunners though are still hopeful that they can lure the Ecuadorian from the south coast to north London.

With all that going on it felt like the perfect time for a Q and A with football.london's chief Arsenal correspondent Kaya Kaynak. Here we take a look back at some of the highlights.

READ MORE: Moises Caicdeo to Arsenal transfer not off yet as Declan Rice pursuit remains unchanged

Q: What is the chance we see Zinchenko move to CM and Tomi to LB if we don’t get a new CM in for Partey cover. We haven’t seen it this year.

KK: Good question! I'd say it's a possibility. Arteta did say he thought Zinchenko could play in midfield when he arrived. I think it depends on the games though as taking a risk like that in the crunch of the season could be catastrophic if it goes wrong.

Q: Hi Kaya, what do you think is next for Sambi Lokonga? Is there a chance he could leave before deadline day? Things don't seem to be working out for him right now and maybe a fresh start is the best solution.

KK: I think Sambi Lokonga has a role to play at Arsenal in the short term. As things stand if no one comes in, he will be the back up to Thomas Partey for the remainder of the campaign and potentially cover for Granit Xhaka too. Beyond that it's hard to say. He said he would reassess this summer if his playing situation did not improve and that hasn't happened. Arteta doesn't seem to fancy him, and I wouldn't be surprised if he moved on.

Q: With reports claiming Brighton want £90m for Moises Caicedo, could Arsenal walk away from this deal? They've shown in the past that they won't overpay so who are potential alternatives?

KK: Arsenal always have alternatives to their main targets. We saw that with how quickly they moved for Leandro Trossard after missing out Mykhailo Mudryk. Players like Martin Zubimendi and Jonathan Bamba are the ones mentioned, while their pursuit of Declan Rice is not thought to be affected by any targets this winter. Ideally, they'd like to sign both Rice and Caicedo.

READ NEXT:

Why Mikel Arteta snapped at Sambi Lokonga as Thomas Partey injury reveals Arsenal transfer need

'Saka and Saliba next!' - Exciting double Arsenal announcement decided as £9.3m deal is agreed

Every word Mikel Arteta said on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal transfer, Partey injury and Man City

Arsenal given major Thomas Partey injury update from initial checks ahead of Everton clash

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