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2 strikers were open to Arsenal move in January but Gunners didn’t bid

Galatasaray and Tottenham Hotspur signings Alvaro Morata and Mathys Tel were both open to joining Arsenal in January, but the Gunners opted against both transfers.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND: Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on February 06, 2025. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images

Sami Mokbel reports for the Daily Mail that whilst Alvaro Morata and Mathys Tel ended up joining Galatasaray and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, both would have given serious consideration to joining Arsenal in the January transfer window.

The reason neither had to make that decision was that after discussing each move internally, Arsenal decided not to make offers. The club felt that neither would provide sufficient impact in the second half of the season.

MUNICH, GERMANY: Mathys Tel of Bayern Munich applauds the fans as he is substituted off during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD8 match between FC Bayern München and SK Slovan Bratislava at Football Arena Munich on January 29, 2025. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images

Simon Collings reported on deadline day that whilst Arsenal did hold exploratory conversations over a move for Tel, they decided not to advance it beyond that.

The Gunners’ hestiance to do a deal for the teenager was likely partly related to the significant finances involved. Spurs are paying a loan fee of up to €10m (£8.3m), and they’re also paying Tel’s salary in full.

After that, Spurs will have a €60m (£50m) purchase option, taking the total potential cost of the signing up to more than £58m. That’s significantly more than Arsenal were willing to pay for a proven striker in Ollie Watkins, and Spurs are investing it on a player with no club goals this season.

MILAN, ITALY: Alvaro Morata of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Cagliari at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on January 11, 2025. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

As for Morata, it’s clear that Galatasaray were just a lot more keen to get a deal done. The Turkish club ultimately signed the striker on loan with an option to buy.

Arsenal are clearly an attractive destination to strikers at the moment, but the Gunners are evidently hoping to leverage that fact to sign one of their priority targets. Morata and Tel didn’t fit that description.

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