Sevilla intend to keep Ever Banega in the January transfer window, and they’re even making plans to renew the midfielder’s contract, according to reports in Spain.

Fichajes report that there a number of complications to Arsenal’s reported pursuit of the Sevilla midfielder. Firstly, Banega doesn’t want to leave the club, as he’s happy in Spain. Secondly, Sevilla’s intention is ‘not only to retain [Banega] but also to improve his contract and renew’.

They add that Banega has a release clause of €20m, which has been reported plenty of times before. However, although that initially seemed like a bargain, it now seems Arsenal might not even have that much to spend. Unai Emery recently told a press conference that the club can only loan players in the current window.

On the other side of things, Fichajes claim the Argentine international’s agent has already travelled to London to speak to Arsenal, and the Gunners’ latest contract offer of £7m-per-season is enough to make him doubt.

With Arsenal’s official position that they aren’t looking to buy in the current window, it seems more likely this deal would go through in the summer, if at all.

If Aaron Ramsey were to leave in the coming weeks, that would give the club some extra funding and motivation to go out and buy a midfielder. Since it seems more likely the Welshman will remain at the club until summer, that’s probably when Arsenal will sign a replacement.