Transfer News: Arsenal Favourites To Sign Forward | Chelsea Eye Portuguese Ace

Although the summer transfer window is officially closed that doesn’t stop clubs working hard behind the scenes to prepare for future signings, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with all the latest gossip. Today, Arsenal are understood to be favourites to sign Tonny Sanabria while Chelsea eye up a move for Fabio Coentrao.

Arsenal favourites for Sanabria

First up and the Daily Mail are reporting that Arsenal are favourites to sign Barcelona youngster Tonny Sanabria after making the young forward a tempting offer to move to the Emirates.

Sanabria is one of the most highly-rated youngsters to be emerging from the Barca youth academy and despite being a regular in their B team, he’s been invited to train with the first team on several occasions.

However, the Mail claim that the 17-year-old is considering leaving the Nou Camp in search of regular first team football and Arsenal are now considered the favourites to sign him after offering a better financial package as well as the promise of being fast-tracked through their ranks much in the same way Cesc Fabregas was.

The Paraguayan international can’t sign professional terms with Barca until he turns 18 in March 2014 and the newspaper suggests that Arsenal will trigger the £2.5m release clause in his youth contract in January, with the player tipped to make the move to north London after his agents agreed the Gunners offer was the most tempting following a meeting on Wednesday.

Chelsea eye Coentrao

Next up and the Daily Mail are also reporting that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is eyeing up a loan move for Real Madrid defender Fabio Coentrao this winter.

Left-back has become something of a problem area for the Blues this season with Ashley Cole struggling to overcome a rib injury that’s seen him make just six starts for club and country since picking  up the complaint in September.

The 32-year-old has lost his place to Cesar Azpilicueta in recent weeks and it now seems Mourinho is ready to bring in another option with the Mail claiming the Chelsea boss is a huge admirer of Coentrao – who almost joined Man Utd on loan in the summer – and is ready to try and sign him on a six month loan deal when the transfer window re-opens in January.

The newspaper suggests the west Londoners would also try and secure the option to make the move permanent in the summer if everything works out well for both parties, and the Portuguese defender shares the same agent as Mourinho – Jorge Mendes – so they hope that could help smooth a deal.

His signing would cast further doubt over Cole’s long-term future at Stamford Bridge. The former Arsenal ace has just six months left to run on his existing deal and any extension will rely on him rediscovering his form and fitness over the coming months, which will be difficult to do if Coentrao is filling his spot in the first team during the second half of the season.

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So there’s your latest transfer news. What do Arsenal fans think of the news that they are close to signing another Barcelona youngster? Do Chelsea fans think the club need another left-back?

Share your views below….