Arsenal have made an excellent start to the campaign and Mikel Arteta is ready to get engaged in the January transfer window to give his side the best chance of winning the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit second in the Premier League after Thursday’s defeat to West Ham. The Gunners are two points below Liverpool and are three clear of Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand.
However, Arsenal could dip into the transfer market in January to try and give them a boost to get them over the line.
On Wednesday, Arteta admitted the Gunners are ready to be active in the winter window. “If there is something that we can [do to] improve the squad and that needs appear, and we cannot fulfil it with players here, we are always going to be open to do that because we want to be stronger,” Arteta said.
Several players might be sold in January to free up funds for more arrivals. Thomas Partey is among those who could leave. The Ghanaian has started just three Premier League matches this season and hasn’t played for the Gunners since early October due to a hamstring issue. His injury record is becoming a major problem for Arteta and Arsenal can’t now rely on him to be available every week. This could see Partey sold, with Juventus known to be admirers of the 30-year-old.
Cedric Soares is another on the chopping block, and although he is free to talk to non-British clubs over signing a pre-contract agreement, he could secure an early exit in January. It would be a smart option for both parties, with Cedric struggling for game time and Arsenal needing more quality in full-back areas.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with signing a new striker in January, and if they manage to get one over the line, surely Arteta will have to sell one of his forward players. Gabriel Jesus is no doubt the Gunners’ first choice right now, which would leave Eddie Nketiah potentially heading for the exit door.
Nketiah has scored five goals in the Premier League this term but hasn’t started a top-flight match since the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle. The 23-year-old would be perfect for West Ham, Fulham, or Wolves in January while an Nketiah-plus cash deal for Brentford’s Ivan Toney could be a deal worth considering for the Gunners.
Arteta should try and keep Aaron Ramsdale at the club, but the goalkeeper does need to play more football if he wants to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024. Jorginho, Emile Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson are among the others who could leave in January, but Arsenal should keep them around in case there is an injury crisis and their squad gets stretched.
Now for the exciting part. Arsenal’s lack of a world-class goalscorer and ‘poacher’ in their squad has led to speculation over a move for Toney, who is set to return from his eight-month suspension. The 27-year-old scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for Brentford last season, before being hit with a betting ban.
The only worry about Toney would be that he hasn’t played a competitive game since May, so he may not hit the ground running like others could. However, his strike rate in a mid-table Brentford side was second to none, and it’s frightening what he could do in a team with even better service.
