Arsenal were reported to have considered Sandro Tonali on Deadline Day as they sought short-term midfield cover following confirmation of Mikel Merino’s foot injury. The suggestion that Tonali had been offered to Arsenal was strongly denied by the player’s agent, while the club continued to evaluate options.

The need for reinforcements followed Arsenal’s announcement about the severity of Merino’s injury, which leaves the squad down a midfielder for the coming months. Mikel Arteta acknowledged the situation ahead of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea and confirmed the club were searching the market.

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed Arsenal were “exploring” a deal for Tonali after an initial approach was rejected. That report was contested by The Athletic ’s well-connected David Ornstein, who said no discussions between the two clubs had taken place and traced the interest back to Tonali’s agent, Giuseppe Riso.

Andrea Berta was described as an “admirer” of Tonali, but the practicalities of completing a transfer so late in the window prevented any move from progressing. In response to The Athletic’s account, Riso told Sky Italia: “Newcastle won’t let Sandro leave in January. We haven’t spoken to Arsenal about this opportunity.”

Arteta addressed the club’s response to Merino’s absence directly. “The news of Mikel was very unexpected, obviously, especially for such a long time,” he said. “So we are actively looking at options and we will continue to do that. My day will be the same as usual, I will be busier and if we have a final solution, I will try to do it, and if we don’t, we will continue in the manner that we are now.

“You need to look and we need to do everything that we possibly can to see if we have a player that is available. If we don’t, we keep what we have,” he added, later conceding he “isn’t relaxed” about the situation.

On the injury itself Arteta was cautious: “It’s a very rare injury, so we have to wait and see once we have the surgery,” the Arsenal boss sighed. “How it reacts daily, monitor it throughout the week. I know Mikel is going to do absolutely everything that he possibly can to come back as quick as possible.”

Arsenal have confirmed Mikel Merino will be sidelined for an “extended period” after it was revealed the midfielder needs surgery for a bone injury in his right foot. The club said the operation is necessary and that the 29-year-old will be out of action for a significant stretch.

The statement did not supply a precise return date. Arsenal did, however, express the hope that Merino will be able to return to training before the end of the current season. The timing of the injury presents a problem for the squad with Monday’s transfer deadline approaching and limited time to recruit.

Journalist David Ornstein has confirmed the club are looking for a potential loan signing to provide cover while Merino recovers. Rather than pursuing a high-profile permanent acquisition, Arsenal are concentrating on short-term additions who can add depth for the remainder of the season. Reports elsewhere have brushed off speculative links to Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

With only hours left to complete business, there is no guarantee Arsenal will secure a deal before the deadline. The club faces the twin pressures of replacing a key midfield figure and managing a late-window search for temporary reinforcement.

Taking to social media after confirmation of his injury, Merino, whose preparations for this summer’s World Cup have been plunged into uncertainty, vowed to come back stronger. The immediate priority for the player and the club is a successful operation and a recovery plan that offers the best chance of a late return to training this season.

Arsenal’s short-term strategy will be judged in the coming days as the transfer window closes and the squad adjusts to the long-term absence of a player who had been expected to be part of their midfield plans for the campaign.

A single weekend altered the Premier League landscape enough for Opta’s supercomputer to widen Arsenal’s advantage at the top.

Arsenal sit six points clear after the most recent fixtures and the model now projects them as overwhelming favourites. The projection places Arsenal on 82.08 predicted points with a 91.01% title probability, up from 84% before the latest set of results. The Gunners followed a previous defeat to Manchester United with a commanding 4–0 win over Leeds United.

Manchester City remain second on current points (47) but the model gives them 71.41 predicted points and a 5.49% chance of the title after slipping to a 2–2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium thanks to an inspired second-half showing from Dominic Solanke.

Aston Villa are third on 46 points and the projection assigns them 71.18 predicted points and a 3.25% title chance. Villa fell 1–0 to Brentford despite facing a side reduced to 10 men for a half. Dango Ouattara opened the scoring shortly after Kevin Schade’s red card. Unai Emery’s players registered 20 second-half shots but only four on target, and VAR ruled out a potential equaliser. Emery was without five regular starters: John McGinn, Ollie Watkins, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana.

Further down the table, Liverpool (39 current points) are projected to finish with 63.15 points and a 40.29% chance of qualifying for the Champions League. Chelsea (40) are on 62.67 predicted points with a 39.43% chance. Manchester United (41) are given 61.39 predicted points and a 26.75% chance of Champions League qualification. Brentford and Newcastle are forecast at 55.16 and 53.38 predicted points respectively, with Brentford slightly more likely to qualify than Newcastle.

At the bottom, West Ham (20) face significant danger: Opta’s simulations give them an 82.94% chance of relegation after their 3–2 defeat to Chelsea, an evening marked by a 22-man scrum. “This is a blip,” Jarrod Bowen promised. “We’ve had some good performances, good results. We’ve shown what we can do, with and without the ball.” Opta still see West Ham tumbling out in almost 83% of 10,000 simulations. Leeds (9.97%) and Nottingham Forest (7.42%) are the two sides closest to following them, a scenario that would require a major change of fortunes.