Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Gunners enter race for Monaco star; club refused to let Nicolas Pepe leave, and more - 3 February 2022
Arsenal will travel to the Molineux on Thursday to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. The north London side are currently sixth in the league table after 21 games, but could jump to fourth with a win on the road.
Meanwhile, the Gunners have entered the race for a Monaco midfielder. Elsewhere, the Premier League giants refused to let Nicolas Pepe leave in January.
On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on 3rd February 2022:
Arsenal enter race for Aurelien Tchouameni
Arsenal have entered the race for Aurelien Tchouameni, according to The Hard Tackle via Football London. With the French midfielder expected to leave Monaco this summer, the Gunners are planning to take him to the Emirates.
Tchouameni has been a revelation for Monaco since joining them in 2020. The 22-year-old has appeared 77 times for the Ligue 1 giants, scoring five times. He has evolved into one of the finest defensive midfielders in Europe at the moment. The Gunners are looking for a player just like him.
Manager Mikel Arteta is eager to shore up his squad this summer. The Spaniard oversaw a mass exodus in January, and is preparing to invest heavily in the summer. The Premier League side want to focus on their attack and midfield, and have their eyes on Tchouameni.
The player is contracted with Monaco till 2024, and is expected to cost around £68 million. However, prising him away won't be easy, as the 22-year-old has also generated interest from clubs around Europe, including Liverpool and Chelsea.
The Frenchman is also a long-term target for Real Madrid, who have identified him as the ideal successor for Casemiro. So the Gunners will have to qualify for next season's Champions League to stand a chance of securing Tchouameni, who is expected to cost around £68 million.
Gunners refused to let Nicolas Pepe leave
Arsenal refused to let Nicolas Pepe leave in January, according to Sport Witness via L'Equipe.
The Ivorian has blown hot and cold since moving to the Emirates in 2019. He has registered just 26 goals and 20 assists in over 100 games for the north London side. However, his indifferent form has not deterred his suitors.
Nicolas Pepe at #AFCON
4 games
2 goals
1 assist
1 penalty goal
2 Man of the match awards https://t.co/KjLJelLEy4
Lyon and Marseille had their eyes on the 26-year-old in January, and wanted to take him back to Ligue 1. However, the Gunners were not ready to let Pepe leave. The situation is likely to change in the summer, though, unless the Ivorian manages to turn his campaign around.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joins Barcelona
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined Barcelona, the club has confirmed. The Gabon international terminated his contract with Arsenal by mutual consent to join the Blaugrana on the last day of the winter transfer window. The official announcement of the move was delayed due to paperwork issues.
NEW SIGNING! 
@Auba is blaugrana!❗️ NEW SIGNING!
▶ @Auba is blaugrana!
The 32-year-old was frozen out of the Gunners' first team due to disciplinary issues. His nightmare at the Emirates has now come to an end, though.
Aubameyang will be under contract with the La Liga giants till 2025. However, there will be an option for an exit in 2023. His release clause has been set at €100 million. Interestingly, the former Borussia Dortmund striker has reportedly taken a significant pay cut to arrive at the Camp Nou.