Arsenal in ‘advanced talks’ to hijack Man City deal for wonderkid as Mikel Arteta makes desperate move

Arsenal are in advanced talks to hijack Manchester City's attempts to complete their fourth January signing, according to David Ornstein.

City have already completed deals to sign Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov for a combined fee of well over £100 million in January.

The reigning Premier League winners need to defeat Club Brugge to reach the play-off stages of the Champions League, and currently sit fifth domestically - prompting the club to sanction major transfers.

But their planned fourth transfer of the window may not come off as they would have hoped.

Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov (both pictured) have signed for Man City this month (Image: Getty)

According to Fabrizio Romano, 18-year-old Norway midfielder Sverre Halseth Nypan is due to travel to Manchester to hold talks with the club over a potential move this month.

However, Ornstein now reports that Arsenal have now opened discussions with Nypan's current club, Rosenborg, over a move.

He claims that talks are already 'advancing' for the midfielder, but that no deal has yet been reached.

City's proposal, meanwhile, is said to involve a potential loan move to Girona for the rest of the season.

But Ornstein adds that Arsenal want to sign Nypan to play in their first team immediately, with the Norwegian wonderkid able to play in several positions through the midfield.

Nypan faced Manchester United in a pre-season friendly last summer (Image: Getty)

Manchester United faced Nypan and Rosenborg in a friendly last summer, with Erik ten Hag's side quickly linked with signing the midfielder.

Those links were amplified further when it emerged that Nypan admitted he had 'always been a Manchester United fan'.

Nypan would only cost teams a reported £10 million as his contract expires in 18 months' time, but reports indicate that United are not in the race to sign him.

Unlike City, neither Arsenal nor United have completed a permanent signing thus far in January.

United have tabled a €30 million bid to sign Lecce wing-back Patrick Dorgu, however, while Arsenal's most concrete link has appeared to involve a summer move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has a £51 million release clause.