Arsenal Linked With Baena, Nusa and Kroupi Ahead of January Window

Arsenal’s reported shortlist covers several roles

Arsenal’s reported January shortlist spans several attacking roles, but the evidence points to early-stage scouting rather than active negotiations. The Independent has linked the club with Atlético Madrid midfielder Alex Baena, RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa and Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, according to the BBC’s Wednesday gossip column. No transfer fees have been reported, and the accounts don’t say whether Arsenal have approached any of the clubs or players.

That distinction matters. A list assembled from media links can show the kinds of profiles being discussed around a club, but it doesn’t tell us how advanced the work is, whether the names come from the same recruitment process, or whether they’re priorities at all. Arsenal’s apparent interest should therefore be read as a set of reported possibilities, not a plan that’s already taking shape.

Kroupi stands out in the reports

Of the three names, Kroupi has appeared in more than one report connecting him to Arsenal. A BBC gossip column on 2 November relayed the Mirror’s claim that Arsenal want the 20-year-old in January, with Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain also interested. The repeated mention gives his link more visibility than the others, though it still doesn’t amount to confirmation from the clubs involved.

The reports describe Kroupi differently: the Independent places him among possible wide additions, while the Mirror frames him as a striker target. Those roles needn’t conflict; a forward who can cover multiple positions could fit a search for added options across the front line. But the reports don’t explain how Arsenal would use him, or whether his ability to play in more than one position is driving the reported interest.

The Mirror also mentioned Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, 21, while reporting that Mikel Arteta’s focus is on strengthening at striker. That adds another name to the discussion, but leaves the same basic question unanswered: is Arsenal looking for a specialist centre-forward, a versatile attacker, or several different options depending on availability? The reporting doesn’t settle that point.

A broad range of profiles, with little detail

Baena, 25, is described as a Spain midfielder, while Nusa, 21, is a Norway winger. The range of profiles suggests Arsenal may be surveying alternatives, though the reporting doesn’t establish a ranked shortlist or identify a preferred signing. A midfielder, a winger and a forward could reflect separate needs, or simply the spread of names circulating in transfer coverage.

The same BBC column also carried a separate talkSPORT link between Arsenal and Endrick for January. It’s another indication of the volume of names attached to the club, but the article gives no further detail that would clarify how the claim relates to the other reports. More names don’t necessarily mean a more developed recruitment picture.

Here’s the thing: position labels can make transfer rumours sound more precise than they are. A player described as a winger may be considered for a different role, while a forward who can cover several areas may appear in reports under more than one category. Without information about Arsenal’s internal evaluation or any direct contact, readers can’t infer a settled tactical brief from these links alone.

Interest remains the only reported stage

Both sets of claims come through newspaper gossip relayed by the BBC. There’s no reported bid, negotiation or fee for Baena, Nusa, Kroupi or Yildiz, so the links offer an indication of names under consideration rather than evidence of a deal taking shape. That’s a thin foundation for claims about imminent arrivals, and the reporting doesn’t provide a timetable for decisions beyond the general January window.

Transfer speculation is unfolding alongside reported contract work at the club: TEAMtalk has reported new deals for Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber. Those reports concern a different part of the squad’s planning. Taken together, they show the range of activity being discussed around Arsenal, but they don’t establish that contract talks and transfer targets are linked.

This is more significant than it looks only if the reports eventually connect to concrete action. For now, the spread of names offers a rough sense of the positions attracting attention, while the absence of bids and fees keeps the picture provisional. If you’re following Arsenal’s recruitment, the useful signal will be a change in the reported stage of talks, not another name added to a gossip list.

Key dates and what comes next

The January transfer window is scheduled to open on 1 January 2027 and close at 11pm UK time on 1 February. That gives the club a defined period in which reported interest could turn into negotiations, though the current accounts don’t say whether Arsenal expect to act early or wait. Until there’s reporting of contact, bids or agreed terms, the shortlist remains just that: a shortlist in the press.

Arsenal’s next league fixture is away to Newcastle on Saturday 21 November. It provides the immediate sporting context for the club, while the transfer window remains weeks away. The reports don’t connect that match to any of the named players or suggest that the fixture will determine recruitment decisions.

For now, a broad set of possible profiles and very little detail. That said, Kroupi’s appearance in more than one report makes his link the most persistent of the names cited here, even if it remains unconfirmed.

Featured photo: Pixabay (tunasandwich), Emirates Stadium, free licence.