Arsenal news conference and transfer news

1. FA Cup fourth round takes place this weekend
2. Holders Arsenal visit Southampton on Saturday (12:!5 GMT)
3. #bbcfootball or text 81111 (UK only)

Goodbye!

That's all from us today. Thanks for joining our coverage.

We'll be back later with live text commentary of Liverpool's game with Burnley (20:00 GMT).

Until then...

Get Involved - who will win the Premier League?

I think Man City will win the league, with Liverpool being their closest challengers. Man United may be let down by their home form, and Leicester may struggle to sustain their current performances as they have in the past. I think the top four will be City, Liverpool, United, Spurs.

Meg

Heart says United, head says City. I made a slightly outlandish prediction to some mates pre-season that Liverpool wouldn't make the top 4 and I still think there's a slim chance it might happen...

Doug

I love how people are discounting West Ham from the race for the title. Just two points behind Liverpool and improving all the time.

Ray

Wolves in for Jose

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

Wolves are trying to complete a loan move for Real Sociedad forward Willian Jose.

The 29-year-old has been with Sociedad since 2016 – and took his tally to six for the season when he scored twice in last night’s Copa del Rey victory over Cordoba.

However, as the Brazilian is not a regular starter, Sociedad are understood to be willing to do a deal, which would be subject to the new Brexit regulations.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been desperate to bring in a forward during the current transfer window as uncertainty remains over the return of Raul Jimenez from a fractured skull.

The Mexican suffered the injury against Arsenal on 29 November, since when Wolves have only won once in the Premier League and have slipped from sixth in the table to 14th.

Getty Images

The story of THAT famous cup upset...

FA Cup: How non-league Chorley upset Wolves in the 1986 FA Cup

We've been here before

Chorley and Wolves have history, of course...

"Mention Chorley and it'll send a shudder down the spines of a generation of fans," says lifelong Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter Russ Evers.

Despite a poor run of form, an FA Cup tie against opponents from the sixth tier of English football ought to be relatively straightforward for Wolves.

But there is history between Chorley, the last non-league club standing in this season's competition, and their Premier League opponents, who meet in the fourth round at Victory Park on Friday.

Unwanted history in Wolves' case.

One of the most famous names in English football were back page news after a 3-0 defeat by Chorley's £25-a-week players on 24 November 1986.

Read more here.

No positive tests for Chorley

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

Some good news out of the Chorley camp this morning.

The National League North club have just got their latest COVID test results back and they were all negative.

It means they will be picking from strength when they play Wolves in the FA Cup fourth round tomorrow.

Chorley beat Wolves in 1986 - although this challenge is arguably much harder. Wolves were in the equivalent of League Two then.

Get Involved - who will win the Premier Leagye?

Sulaimon: Manchester City will win the Premier League title but it will be very tight with Leicester and Spurs involved. Manchester United's unenviable home form is one of the reasons they won't win the league.

That's all from the Arsenal boss, who was under pressure after a poor run of results just a few weeks ago.

But after an improvement in form, the Gunners have climbed into the top half of the table.

We will have live text commentary as the holders visit Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday (12:15 GMT)...

'We need to be more consistent'

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is eager for his side to continue their good run, but says there is "still lots to improve".

"We want to continue the run, we haven't done anything, we've just won a couple of games and there is still a lot of things to improve on," said Arteta.

"Certainly in the league table, we need to be more consistent."

'No better feeling'

Arsenal

Here is Emile Smith Rowe speaking to Football Focus recently.

The Arsenal youngster says it is "unbelievable" to be playing alongside his academy teammates in the first team.

Emile Smith Rowe: Playing for Arsenal with team-mates I've grown up with is 'unbelievable'

'Step by step'

Arsenal

Academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe has started the last two league games for Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta has been speaking about speculation surrounding the youngster, and whether the club would be offering him a new deal.

“Let’s go step by step," said Arteta.

"Emile has done really well. He has deserved his chance. He is taking it and grabbing it with both hands in a really convincing way. Let him be. Things will come naturally.”

'I want to take the team in a different direction'

Arsenal

More on Mesut Ozil's imminent departure now...

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: “He’s a great footballer, he’s really talented footballer. He is a player that has done a lot for the football club but at the moment I want to take the team in a different direction.

"If we had more options maybe he was part of some plans. He was part of some plans at the start and he wasn’t in anymore at the end.”

'I wish him the best'

Arsenal

Another player who has left the Emirates is Sokratis Papastathopoulos, who agreed to end his contract with the club six months early.

Mikel Arteta says the defender was a "great person to work with" but insists he "had to make a decision".

“First of all I want to thank him because he is such a professional and a great person to work with," said Arteta.

"It’s a shame because we have a lot of central defenders, we are over loaded with foreign players. I had to make a decision. It was a tough one.

"He took it really really well. He’s always been really supportive and helpful. From the bottom of my heart I wish him the best.

"He has been a pleasure to work with and wish the best for him and his family in the next chapter.”

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'The final step is the longest'

Arsenal

Let's start with the big one...

Mesut Ozil is due to complete a long-awaited move to Turkish side Fenerbahce this month, but Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says the "final step is the longest".

“The quarantine situation is making that final step the longest ever because they have a lot of restrictions there [in Turkey]," said Arteta.

"There things that have to be done before announcing anything. I think everything seems to be going OK but I cannot say definitely what is going to happen."

Asked if it was hard to let the German midfielder leave, Arteta said: “Yeah for many different reasons. There is a history here what happened in the last few years.

"How things develop and how the team should evolve for the future and his position at the club. A player with such an importance that is not playing and is not in the squad..it's a really difficult situation to sustain for both parties.

"The player wants to play and we cannot give him the minutes and obviously that situation has to be resolved.”

Arteta incoming

The Premier League will take a back seat this weekend as the FA Cup fourth round takes centre stage.

We'll hear from Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta shortly, so stay tuned for updates...

Get Involved - who will win the Premier League?

TheTurboBear: Man Utd will win because suddenly we have rediscovered the ability to grind out results. City the only other likely winner in my opinion. Liverpool are flaunting, Everton fail against top teams, Spurs just fail in general lately and Leicester will slip again.

'No one escapes this embarrassment'

Marca

Marca's headline reads: "No one escapes this embarrassment."

Is the pressure starting to build on Zinedine Zidane, whose side are also four points behind league leaders Atletico Madrid, having played two games more?

Marca

Real humbled by third-tier side

It was a disappointing night for Cristiano Ronaldo's former team Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants were handed a humiliating Copa del Rey last-32 defeat by third division outfit Alcoyano - who were down to 10 men.

Zinedine Zidane's side took the lead through defender Eder Militao but Jose Solbes took the tie to extra time.

Alcoyano - who play in Segunda Division B - had Ramon Lopez sent off for a second booking but earned a famous win when Juanan stole in at the near post.

"I take responsibility and whatever has to happen will happen," Zidane said.

Read more here.

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Get Involved - who will win the Premier League?

Can you still say that Leicester are continuing to "punch above their weight" when they are already proven (and worthy) PL title winners?

Ryan

As a Coventry fan, watching Leicester flying high will always be described as "punching above their weight".

Others might call it jealousy...

As expected, that Super Cup victory for Juventus is the big story in this morning's Italian newspaper...