Arsenal are preparing to face Nottingham Forest on Sunday but off-the-pitch matters have also captured attention, with a Kim Min-jae transfer link and a William Saliba injury update ahead of the weekend

Arsenal are back in action at the weekend, after returning from the international break with a win over Leeds. However, Mikel Arteta might already have one eye on the transfer market.

The Gunners will be hoping to cut the gap to Manchester City at the top of the table when they take on Nottingham Forest on Sunday. And any result will be have to done without the help of William Saliba, who has missed the entirity of the season.

It could mean Arteta, come January, could be tempted to dip into the market for a defender the Gunners were linked with in the summer. Here, Daily Star Sport delves into some of the biggest stories circulating around the Gunners.

New transfer target under consideration

Bayern Munich centre-half Kim Min-jae is reportedly on Arsenal's radar as they grapple with a depleted defence. The Gunners have been without Saliba so far this season, leading to Cristhian Mosquera and recent recruit Ezri Konsa stepping in for the French international.

Despite the Premier League champions' robust defensive line-up, CFBayernInsider suggests that Kim is on Arsenal's radar and has been a topic of discussion within the club, reports the Mirror.

The report cliams that Arsenal may be eyeing up defensive reinforcements in January, and Kim could be up for grabs at the right price. The South Korean international has slipped to third choice at Bayern, but had no desire to part ways with the Germans this summer.

Kim signed for Bayern in 2023 and is contracted until 2028. The 29 year old has featured in six matches across all competitions this season, starting two of the club's five league fixtures.

Arsenal compelled to issue statement

Arsenal moved swiftly to quell concerns after Saliba was noticeably absent from the team's official squad photo. The 2026/27 snapshot was taken at the club's Sobha Realty Training Centre on Wednesday and shared on social media.

Saliba was missing from the group shot alongside his teammates, prompting the club to release a statement to clarify the defender's absence. Shortly after sharing the photo, Arsenal announced: "Due to a medical appointment, William Saliba was not available this afternoon."

The centre-back recently resumed individual training and Arteta expressed optimism about his recovery, though he declined to provide a specific timeline for his return.

When questioned if Saliba might be back following the November international break, the Arsenal boss stated: "I don't know, we're still talking about weeks, and when that happens it's very different whether he would play just before, or after that, because it's a very specific injury that he processes."