Arteta Excited, Bracing For Last-Minute Additions As Transfer Deadline Nears

Arsenal FC is pushing itself to the limit, hoping to land its targets before the Oct. 5 transfer deadline. At least two names are on Mikel Arteta’s list – Houssem Aouar and Thomas Partey. The Gunners have been trying to secure the two players but have yet to succeed.

Anything can happen between now and Monday. But Arteta has been enjoying the drama, admitting that it has allowed him to dream about the players he could bring in and think of ways to help them improve individually. He is aware that the club is at a crucial moment but said the process of rebuilding the team has been a lot of fun, Goal reported.

“I think it’s very exciting because at the end it’s the tools that you have to be able to do your job in the best possible way,” Arteta said.

“You can dream about players that you can bring and how you can develop them and change certain positions to fit into what you want to do. It’s a big part of the industry,” he added.

If the Gunners can pull something off before Monday, Arteta would be able to add new key additions to the players they have already secured. Among the new faces at Emirates Stadium are Gabriel Magalhaes, Willian Borges da Silva and Alex Runarsson.

However, the Gunners need to unload some players as well. Names such as Lucas Torreira, Sokratis, Mesut Ozil, Matteo Guendouzi and Shkodran Mustafi have been identified as players likely to leave but remain on the Arsenal side. Of those names, Torreira is the only one nearing a deal.

The Guardian's Fabrizio Romano, who has a credible record for breaking transfer news in European soccer, reported that Arsenal and Atletico Madrid reached an agreement for a season-long loan deal for Torreira. The deal includes an option to make it permanent next summer, according to the sports journalist.

Goal's Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts reported that the Uruguayan is now headed to Madrid and will undergo a medical this weekend.

Finally, Los Indios finds itself in a similar situation as Arsenal. Atletico Madrid has to unload some players as well. Among the names who could exit are Hector Herrera and Thomas Lemar.