Leading up to January, Arsenal were heavily-linked with Lyon forward Nabil Fekir as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez. However, it seems the deal is now dead in the water.

At the start of January, reports put Fekir top of the list as a replacement for Arsenal’s departing Chilean. The reports made sense considering the Frenchman’s form this season, with the Lyon man scoring 19 goals and making four assists in 26 appearances.

Plus, quotes from the player and his family in the past suggested he might like a move to North London. In 2015, Fekir’s father said that if the 24-year-old left Lyon, it would be for the Gunners. Then, last month, the midfielder mentioned Arsenal in a list of clubs he could join.

Fekir contributed a goal and assist in his last match against PSG this weekend too, so you’d think the story would be stronger than ever. Instead, Tottenham Hotspur are getting more articles written about their interest than the Gunners.

Perhaps the gossip died down because Arsenal ended up signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Manchester United. It never seemed particularly likely the club would sign two attacking-midfield players in one window. Everyone knows that, so it’s pointless to write a story suggesting a £60m deal is still on – unless it’s actually true.

The most likely explanation is that there wasn’t anything in the rumours to start with. Just because people say a player would fit in the Arsenal team doesn’t mean the Gunners are necessarily after them. Maybe Wenger likes the player, and maybe he’ll make a move in the summer.

For now though, this deal is dead.