Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners negotiating William Saliba extension; Cedric Soares backed to leave Emirates, and more - January 18, 2023

Arsenal face Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday (January 22) in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta's team are atop the standings after 18 games, nine points ahead of the fourth-placed Red Devills.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are locked in negotiations to extend William Saliba's stay. Elsewhere, journalist Ryan Taylor reckons Cedric Soares could leave the Emirates this month.

On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on January 18, 2023:

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Arsenal negotiating William Saliba extension

William Saliba (right) has been in splendid form this season.

Arsenal are locked in negotiations to extend William Saliba's contract, according to ESPN. The French defender has been a revelation this season since returning from his loan spell with Marseille. The 21-year-old has forged an impressive partnership with Gabriel at the heart of the backline, aiding the club's recent rise.

The Gunners have already offered him a new deal, but it has been rejected by the player's entourage, as the terms do not match their requirements. Saliba's contract runs till 2024, but the north London side are eager to sort the situation immediately.

The club remain confident of securing a deal, with a second set of talks scheduled for next week. Speaking after the win on Sunday, Saliba expressed his desire to continue his stay at the Emirates.

"I am so happy here. The club is speaking with my agent and me; the only thing I can do is (focus on my football). I am so happy here," said Saliba.

The Frenchman has appeared 21 times across competitions this season, registering two goals and an assist.

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Cedric Soares backed to leave Emirates

Cedric Soares could leave the Emirates this year.

Ryan Taylor reckons Cedric Soares could leave Arsenal this month if the club sign a replacement.

The Portuguese right-back has struggled for game time at the Emirates this season. With Ben White flourishing in a full-back role and Takehiro Tomiyasu operating as his back-up, Soares appears surplus to requirements.

However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor added that manaer Mikel Arteta is sceptical about offloading players without securing a replacement.

"If Fresneda were to arrive this month, there’s obviously a chance that Cedric could then be moved on. But at the moment, from what I understand, Arteta is really not keen to weaken his squad. Even though he knows Cedric is more than likely not going to play, it seems a little bit of a risk for Arsenal to move players on without replacing them," said Taylor.

The 31-year-old has appeared just four times across competitions for the Gunners this season.

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David Ornstein opens up on Gunners' January plans

Joao Felix joined Chelsea on a temporary move.

David Ornstein has backed Arteta to strengthen his squad this month. Arsenal missed out on Joao Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk, with both players opting to join Chelsea. It's unclear whether the Gunners will move on to other targets, having invested a lot of effort in vain.

However, speaking to NBC Sports as cited by Daily Cannon, Ornstein said that Arteta remains keens to recruit new faces this month.

"There weren’t alternatives that they were pursuing. When you hear of clubs … going for a player and having others on the back burner … in Arsenal’s situation, they didn’t have others on the back burner. That doesn’t mean to say that they don’t have recruitment lists and opportunities they could explore or have looked into in the past and can revisit," said Ornstein.

The north London side were hot on the heels of Mudryk for a while but lost out to the Blues at the final hurdle. Meanwhile, Felix was also a target for Arteta this month but moved to Stamford Bridge on loan for the rest of the season.