Arsenal latest: Mikel Arteta plots double January transfer raid as Pep Guardiola warning sent

Arsenal are continuing to lead the Premier League as they aim for a perfect end to the year

Arsenal are bracing for a hectic end to December, with a flurry of fixtures lined up in the coming weeks. Mikel Arteta's side have four matches to navigate before the end of the year, facing off against Everton, Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Aston Villa.

The Gunners currently sit atop both the Premier League and Champions League tables, having suffered just two defeats in 22 outings across all competitions.

However, the title race is heating up, with Manchester City securing four consecutive victories to keep Arsenal on their toes at the summit of the league. Arteta will hope his squad can maintain their winning momentum as the new year approaches.

The Arsenal boss will also likely boost his squad with new signings to enhance their chances of lifting silverware in 2026. Here, football.london brings you all the latest from the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta eyes Madrid pair

In the summer transfer window, Arsenal were reportedly considering a move for Brazilian forward Rodrygo. The Real Madrid star was constantly linked with a switch to the Gunners throughout the summer, but ultimately remained in Spain for the 2025/26 campaign.

But he has struggled to make an impact this term, meaning a hefty £78million fee is rumoured to be the asking price to lure the attacker away from the Bernabeu in January, with Liverpool also reportedly showing interest in the 24-year-old. However, Rodrygo isn't the only Madrid player on Arsenal's radar - recent reports suggest they're also keen on Victor Valdepenas.

Reports from ESPN Deportes suggest that the 19-year-old centre-back has caught Arsenal's attention, with Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen also monitoring his situation.

However, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso might be reluctant to part ways with the promising talent after offering words of encouragement following his debut appearance against Alaves.

Despite the youngster's error that allowed Alaves to draw level, Alonso remained supportive. He said: "We conceded on the only occasion that Valdepeñas made a mistake, because in all the others he was very accurate and played very well.

"But then, the team continued to stand up and fight, battling hard in a difficult stadium against a very intense opponent.

"We got that second goal that gave us the three points and we're leaving here happy."

Pep Guardiola's fresh title warning

Pep Guardiola has issued another challenge to Arsenal, insisting his emerging City talents have the ability to become club icons. Following a commanding 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace, the Spaniard is convinced his squad will only strengthen and has the potential to achieve greatness.

The City boss said: "We are improving, new players came along and adapted many things. My only dream as a manager is be ourselves all the time.

"Perform like we are working and talking and doing and this is, I think, the reason why we had Vincent, we had Kyle. All the players who have been legends in this club had the composure. I had the feeling that we are getting better and this is what we want to feel.

"Today was 0-3 but against Sunderland we won 3-0 and we were good against Sunderland for 95 minutes. I cannot expect Palace don't have chances or we lose the ball on transitions because they were the FA Cup winners.

"But how we approach, how aggressive we are, that made me so happy. Of course we are really pleased because I know how tough they are. To make 0-3 here is a great statement for us."

Guardiola also drew attention to his team's tenacity in past title races. He added: "From experience when you win in the past you believe the past is always perfect - brilliant, red carpets.

"When we won 100 points and all the titles we had a lot of games like this and the resilience was part of that. This will help us build something. We are in a better position than last season, we are close and this is what we are here to do."