Report: Arsenal have until Jan 16 to sign future star for just £21m, he once agreed to join

Arsenal have been handed a January 16 deadline to complete the signing of a future star for just £21 million, with the player himself already agreeing personal terms in the summer window.

Arsenal's transfer plans for January explained

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is attempting to guide the north Londoners to their first Premier League title in 21 years, having sealed transfer deals for goalkeeper David Raya, defender Riccardo Calafiori, midfielder Mikel Merino, shot-stopper Neto and winger Raheem Sterling over the summer window.

"I’ve heard, though, that if there was the right option out there, Arsenal still want to buy somebody in that position. The problem is there’s not a long list of players who are good enough to play that role and are also available to come to the Premier League. Arsenal won’t want to waste any money they have

on a player they don’t need. They’ll be prudent, but I know they’ll be looking for areas they can improve, and I think that will be one even with Havertz playing as well as he has been.”

As well as a new forward, Arteta and Edu are looking to shore up defensively, and it is believed they're still after goalkeeper Joan Garcia after failing to sign him in the summer.

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Garcia agreed personal terms to join Arsenal at the time, as reported by reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano, but they couldn't quite agree on a fee with newly-promoted Espanyol.

Arsenal given till January 16 to sign Joan Garcia for just £21m

According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Arsenal have been given until January 16 to sign Garcia for just £21 million, with his exit clause set to rise to around £26 million thereafter in the winter.

The story is a complicated one, as it is believed his release clause rose to £26 million in the summer after previously being £21 million. Mundo claim his Espanyol contract will implement a similar scenario in January, with Edu handed another opportunity to bring him in for £5 million less.

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The Spaniard, who played a key role in helping Espanyol achieve promotion last season, has been tipped to become Spain's number one goalkeeper as Arsenal eye up another move for the future star.

“I like the personality he has, the style he has," said ex-Espanyol keeper Kiko Casilla.

"He is the future goalkeeper of Spain. He is the present of Espanyol and I hope he is also the future."