Arsenal Transfer News: Aubameyang, Giroud, Evans, Debuchy, Reina-Adelaide, Akpom

WHILE Arsenal celebrated Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s arrival, it was a frenetic day at the Emirates, with Olivier Giroud joined by four other players exiting, while the club missed out on West Brom captain Johnny Evans.



Giroud’s £18million move to Chelsea was the biggest exit, but the club also let Mathieu Debuchy join St Etienne, Jeff Reine-Adelaide has been loaned to Angers and Chuba Akpom loaned to Sint-Truidense.

Both players loaned out are highly rated at the club; the former is a French youth international heading home for the opportunity of first team football experience, and the latter is an England under-21 international.

Krystian Bielik has also left Arsenal to join Walsall until the end of the season.

Arsenal’s need to consolidate defensively saw a late play for Manchester City target, and former Manchester United central defender Evans, but with the money spent on Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil’s new deal, they were not able to match what West Brom demanded.

Sky Sports reports the clubs did not even begin negotiating a deal given Arsenal’s valuation.



Right back Mathieu Debuchy has joined French club Saint-Etienne from Premier League Arsenal until the end of the season.



Debuchy is in the final six months of his contract with Arsenal. The 32-year-old Frenchman joined Arsenal in 2014 but, following a bright start, made only 30 appearances for the London club.

Debuchy, who has 27 caps and two goals for France, also went on loan to Bordeaux during 2015-16 as he sought playing time.

Angers signed Arsenal midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide on loan until the end of the season as the French transfer window drew to a close Wednesday.

The 20-year-old Adelaide was widely tipped to succeed at Arsenal after winning the Under-17 European championship with France in 2015 and being named in the team of the tournament. The versatile midfielder joined Arsenal the same year from French side Lens, but has made only eight appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Angers, which is in 16th place in the first division, also loaned striker Enzo Crivelli to 13th-place Caen with an option to buy him at the end of the season. Former France midfielder Clement Grenier, once highly-rated, left seven-time French champion Lyon to join Guingamp on an 18-month deal as his injury-plagued career took another turn.

The 27-year-old Grenier, a skillful free kick specialist, made five appearances for France but could never get his career fully off the ground due to a series of niggling injuries. He joins Guingamp after making more than 150 appearances for Lyon and six on loan to Italian side Roma in the second half of last season. Lyon signed right back Leo Dubois from Nantes on a four-year contract, but let him continue the rest of the season with Nantes.

No transfer fee was given but the 23-year-old Dubois was out of contract with Nantes in June. Lyon’s bitter local rival Saint-Etienne was busier, selling central defender Florentin Pogba - brother of Manchester United star midfielder Paul Pogba - to Turkish first division side Genclerbirligi on an 18-month deal. Saint-Etienne also took back Moroccan forward Oussama Tannane after loaning him to Spanish side Las Palmas.