Arsenal 'considering' major move for key Premier League midfielder - and it's not Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz

Arsenal are looking to make a major change in the upcoming January transfer window as head coach Mikel Arteta could look to bring in Fulham superstar Joao Palhinha, according to a report. Should the move take place, the Gunners will look to balance the books by letting go of Thomas Partey - if they can find a suitor for the Ghanaian international.

That is according to the Mirror, as Arsenal aim to keep momentum behind their Premier League title bid. When asked about Arsenal's plans for the January transfer window, sporting director Edu told to Amazon Prime in midweek: "To work for a football club like Arsenal, it is always busy, isn’t it? You need to put in a lot of effort and energy and dedicate a lot of time, but of course in January and the summer, it does intensify a bit. We are prepared.

"We have big people around the club to support me and the decisions. We always have our targets - it is important to be prepared for every single scenario - that is very important."

Would Joao Palhinha be an upgrade over Thomas Partey?

Last season, Partey was one of Arsenal's key players, being their most effective defensive midfielder. In the current campaign, however, his role has largely been usurped by Declan Rice. Additionally, at the age of 30, he is not getting any younger.

Palhinha is only two years younger than Partey, though. Moreover, he won't come cheap - it is believed that Fulham will not let him leave Craven Cottage for anything less than £55 million. Meanwhile, it's unclear as to how much Arsenal could get for Partey should he leave the club.

Arsenal spent a lot of money in the summer transfer window on incomings such as Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and the aforementioned Rice. It isn't known how much money they have to spend in January specifically - but one can assume that they will not be spending anything close to the figures they shelled out in the summer.