Arsenal dream midfield amid Mikel Merino injury - Tonali 'decision', Nwaneri recall, Neves stance

Arsenal will be without Mikel Merino after the Spanish international midfielder suffered a foot injury, leaving them with a decision to make when it comes to last-minute additions

As Arsenal prepare to make do without Mikel Merino, talk of a last-minute spending spree has ramped up. Merino is set for surgery after breaking a bone in his foot, and all we know for now is that his absence will be for an extended period, with a return this season not guaranteed.

"Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme," Arsenal said in a statement. "Mikel is expected to be out of action for an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season."

Arsenal spent big over the summer, with Martin Zubimendi, Ebere Eze and Christian Norgaard already in place to boost the Gunners' midfield options. However, that hasn't stopped more big names from being linked.

One of those names is Sandro Tonali. The Italy midfielder has previously earned praise from international team-mate and Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori and remains highly regarded at St James' Park.

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Sadly for Arsenal, that reputation in the north east looks to have made a deadline day move a non-starter. Newcastle insist there has been no contact, despite reports on the continent linking the former AC Milan star with a move to North London.

Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves is another name attracting attention. Mikel Arteta was an admirer of the Portugal international when he was at Wolves, only for the Saudi side to win the race for his signature in 2023.

Neves' contract in Riyadh expires in the summer and this has prompted suggestions he could make a cut-price return to the Premier League. More recently, though, it emerged that he was entertaining talks of an extension.

Another option to emerge in recent days is a recall for Ethan Nwaneri. The youngster joined Marseille on a loan deal until the end of the season and scored on his debut, but Merino's injury sparked questions over whether Arsenal might be able to bring him back to North London.

According to The Telegraph, though, there is no recall clause within the loan and a return is considered 'impossible'. That means Nwaneri will remain in France until the summer.

So, where does this all leave Arsenal? Zubimendi and Eze have already racked up regular minutes alongside Declan Rice and/or Merino this season, though Norgaard may now be called into action more than he has been in the first half of the campaign.

Max Dowman could also be handed minutes in a central role when he returns from injury, with the teenager potentially back in action before the end of February. And there's also a chance Arsenal will hand midfield berths to a couple of players more accustomed to featuring elsewhere on the pitch.

Kai Havertz has operated as the most advanced midfielder in the past, be that at Arsenal or at former clubs Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen. Central midfield was also where Myles Lewis-Skelly operated before filling in at left-back last season, and moving the youngster back into the middle could be an option.

We've still got a few hours of the window to go, and there's enough time for another midfield target to emerge. For now, though, Arsenal's solution could well arrive without any further investment.