Arsenal could look to dip into the market during the January window to strengthen in one position, as journalist Dean Jones explains their transfer plans to GIVEMESPORT.
The Gunners will be looking to compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
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Arsenal looked to strengthen their squad during the summer transfer window after missing out on England’s top flight trophy to Pep Guardiola’s side. Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber, and David Raya arrived through the door at the Emirates Stadium, and the north London club are looking strong for the remainder of the campaign.
However, recent injuries to Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard has unearthed a slight weakness in their attack. Against Tottenham Hotspur last week, Gabriel Jesus was forced to play out wide with Eddie Nketiah through the middle. Although the Arsenal duo are great players in their own right, if the Gunners want to win the Premier League title, they might need a little more strength in depth.
If you look at Man City, they are usually deploying a substitutes bench filled with world-class talent, so the north London club have some way to go before their squad is on the same level as Guardiola’s. The likes of Havertz and Nketiah haven’t performed as expected so far this season, so it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if Arsenal dip into the transfer market once again when the winter window opens.
The Gunners now have Champions League football to contend with and they recently knocked out Brentford in the Carabao Cup, so the hectic fixture schedule could come back to bite them, especially if they continue to pick up injuries. Arsenal spent £202m during the summer transfer window, but the owners could be looking to dip into their pockets once again.
Arsenal were comfortable with their squad, but now that’s starting to change – Dean Jones
With the transfer window closing just a few weeks after the season has begun, it’s difficult to assess whether you’ve done enough in the market ahead of the campaign. That’s why the January window can be so important, as clubs are able to figure out their weaknesses in the first half of the term and correct them ahead of the home straight.
Jones has suggested that during the summer, there was a chance that Arsenal would look to bring in another forward before the deadline, but any move failed to materialise. The journalist adds that the Gunners were happy with their attacking options going into the new season, but their situation has started to change and they could look to dip into the market in January. Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said…
“I actually don’t mind Jesus off the left, but what I think happened is it shines a light on the fact that Arsenal do need to go into the transfer market to sign a striker in January. Now I’ve mentioned a couple of times in the summer that there might be temptation for them to go and do that at the back end of the window. The right scenario didn’t really crop up and they felt comfortable with what they were going into the season with. But now that seems like it’s starting to change once you see that Martinelli and Trossard are missing at the same time and Jesus is having to move out wide.”
Signing an additional forward could be high on Arsenal’s priority list, whether that be a central striker or a winger. If the Gunners want to compete with Man City, who have two world-class centre-forwards in Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, then bringing in a new number nine could be a smart idea.
£60m star could be Mikel Arteta’s main target
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who could cost in the region of £60m. The England international is Premier League proven, and could be the ideal player to provide strong competition for Jesus.
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Eddie Nketiah, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Ivan Toney – Premier League Stats |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nketiah |
Jesus |
Havertz |
Toney |
|
|
Appearances |
95 |
189 |
97 |
68 |
|
Goals (Per 90) |
0.41 |
0.55 |
0.27 |
0.49 |
|
Assists (Per 90) |
0.10 |
0.27 |
0.10 |
0.14 |
|
All stats according to FBref |
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If Toney is available for just £60m in the January transfer window, then Arsenal could face some stiff competition to secure his signature. However, Toney has previously revealed his love for the north London club, which could give them an edge in the race to secure his signature…
“I have been a Liverpool fan my whole life, but from young I have liked Arsenal, I like watching Arsenal and how they play and kind of how passionate the fans are.”
Although he’s also confirmed that he supports Liverpool, you’d imagine the Merseyside club are unlikely to be looking for a striker in the near future.
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