The Five players Arsenal should buy in January

5 Players Arsenal Should Target in January BY Matt Gault

The 2017/18 campaign has, so far, been all too familiar for Arsenal fans. There have been the uninspiring downs – such as the defeat to Watford – coupled with hopeful ups, like the dismantling of Everton.

After eleven Premier League games the Gunners sit sixth in the table. They’re level on points with Liverpool and also, incredibly, Burnley. So there is still plenty of work to be done.

The Gunners acquired the services of Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolašinac in the summer but fans are expecting the club to dip into the January transfer market in order to avoid missing out on Champions League football again.

Arsenal will also have to start preparing for the likely departures of Manchester City target Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil, who has been linked with United. Neither player has signed a new contract and their current deals expire a the end of the campaign.

Losing the duo would be a bitter blow for the Gunners given their importance to the side. But nobody is irreplaceable and there are several exciting players who could be available in January.

Arséne Wenger isn’t a man who is easily parted with his cash, but our friends at Football Whispers have picked out five players Arsenal should be considering a move for in January.

Julian Draxler

The gifted yet enigmatic German playmaker has long been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium. However, there is the genuine possibility that, if Arsenal choose to pursue the Paris Saint-Germain once again, they would finally get their man.

January will be no different to the summer, however. Arsenal will only be willing to sell Sánchez if they have a replacement lined up. Draxler certainly fits the bill.

The big-money arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappé in the summer have somewhat marginalised him at the Parc des Princes, but Draxler remains a dangerous attacking talent.

In PSG’s 6-2 win over Bordeaux earlier this season, Draxler provided a thrilling snapshot of his ability, starting an attack before finishing it with a sensational volley.

With PSG currently under investigation to see if they have adhered to financial fair play regulations following their heavy summer spend, the club may be pressured to sell and, with the World Cup next summer, Draxler would be wise to seek pastures new.

Thomas Lemar

The versatile midfielder came close to signing for Arsenal on transfer deadline day, but Wenger may opt to test Monaco’s resolve once more with a sizeable bid.

Lemar enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 campaign, scoring nine goals, registering ten assists (a league best) and averaging 2.2 key passes per game as the principality club ended PSG’s four-year dominance at the Ligue 1 summit.

And if Wenger continues with the 3-4-3 formation he first turned to at the back end of last season, then Lemar can operate on either side of the front three. Alternatively, he has proven himself to be a devastating outlet on the left of a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2.

Lemar hasn’t quite replicated last season’s sparkling form yet but, at 21, he is a burgeoning talent that has the potential to become a genuine Premier League star – albeit a pricey one. He could be the long-term successor to Sanchez on the Gunners left flank.
Virgil van Dijk

The powerful centre-back has made no secret of his desire to leave Southampton and, although he has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer, joining Arsenal would make a lot of sense.

Above all else, the Gunners need a long-term replacement for Laurent Koscielny. The Frenchman is 32 and has become a regular injury concern over the last two seasons, so shopping for his successor is necessary at this point for Wenger.

There are also doubts over how long Shkodran Mustafi, who is currently out injured, will remain at the North London club after his summer move to Inter Milan collapsed over wage demands. Per Mertesacker, meanwhile, is retiring at the end of the season.

Van Dijk represents arguably the strongest defensive candidate available to Arsenal. He won’t come cheap – a fee of £60million has regularly been mooted – but he is physically and technically impressive and, at 26, is approaching his peak years.

There is likely to be stiff competition from Liverpool and possibly Manchester City, but van Dijk is simply too attractive an option not to go for.

Oriol Romeu

The tough-tackling midfielder enjoyed the best season of his career last term, pipping van Dijk to Southampton’s Player of the Year award.

More pertinently, though, he represents something Arsenal have often lacked in recent years: stability and cover in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old is a robust, uncompromising presence in midfield. This season he is averaging three tackles a game, as well as 1.8 interceptions and clearances.

He is also a threat in attack, playing 1.1 key passes a match from his deeper role.

Last season, only Idrissa Gueye and N’Golo Kanté made more tackles than the former Barcelona and Chelsea man, while he was third in total interceptions.

With concerns over the futures of Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin, Arsenal need more depth in midfield. Romeu, positionally astute and composed in possession, could be a solid investment for Wenger in January.

James Tarkowski

The Burnley defender has been in outstanding form this season and, at 24, looks destined for a move to one of the Premier League heavyweights in the future.

Following Michael Keane’s departure to Everton in the summer, Tarkowski has admirably stepped up to the plate and has been every bit the essential defensive cog his predecessor was.

Playing alongside Ben Mee at the heart of the Clarets defence, Tarkowski has averaged the second-most clearances (8.8) and the joint highest blocks (1.7) per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.

His sure-footed and commanding performances at the back for Sean Dyche have seen his stock rise dramatically and, should he continue in the same vein, Burnley may have to resign themselves to losing another quality centre-half.

15 Comments

  1. I really wish kreonke would wake up and see that clutching the purse strings is going to loose him money in the long term. You ask anyone under the age of 18 which team the support and 9/10 of them will not say arsenal anymore. I am 25 and I remember as a kid nearly everyone supported arsenal or utd. As a teenager it became arsenal utd and chelsea with city slowly creeping in and less and less arsenal fans. If we invest now we can reverse this and get back to being with utd and chelsea. If not ij the next 5 years we will be no bigger than everton or tottenham

    1. Most kids would be playing Fifa 18 and expect the real world to be like Fifa 18….which is unlimited spending…..and players to be treated like robots and not human

      1. Your right and these days most players are like robots. They have 2 ambotions. 1 . Money 2. Plau for the biggest club they can. We have seen city and chelsea rise by paying big wages with no reputation. And we all know that if real madrid or barcelona come knocking 90% of players are gone. When is the last time we have seen a plauer like Gerard who plays for the club he supports and will refuse to leave at any cost. Maube jack wilshire but that kind of thing does not exist anymore. So in short yes robots who respond to money and presteige like alot of people in the world

        1. In Fifa 18…. players do not drink, do not fall sick, do not need a home, has no families, will not get affected by climate changes and etc….

          in Fifa 18….you can have players such as Neymar or Mbappe that can warm the bench for 5 seasons and still be happy to stay in the club

  2. LoL – We only got 2 in Summer. I seriously doubt we will get 5 in January
    In fact, we hardly get any in Januarys
    Clubs don’t like to sell mid-season and also don’t get good deals in January. Also less time only 1 month.
    Wenger is Wenger. He is as stubborn in January as he is in Summer. Wenger will never change!

    1. thats what fans expecting ……

      5 in winter another 5 in summer ….brand new team every season

      Welcome to the world of Fifa 18 where players will not fall sick and not get affected by all sort of changes such as climate etc…

  3. Wenger will not let Ozil and Sanchez
    go for free in the summer.
    They cost 79 million together to buy
    and have cost 52 million together so far
    in salary a total of 151 million pound.
    He has Lacazette Giroud Wellbeck Walcott Perez Akpom and Asano
    so I don’t believe he will buy a striker unless he is young French and cheap.
    He will need to buy a quality mid to replace Ozil (and no not Jack Wilshere).
    I’m thinking young and cheap not necessarily French but cheap because
    soon Wenger needs to replace Cazorla Mertz Koz Monreal Cech +Debuchy.
    “We looked very hard but there was no one decent available
    but we found a young cheap lad from Bundesliga 2”.

  4. What we need and what we get are two very different things. I read on the BBC website today that Wenger wants Wilfred Zaha to replace Sanchez. If that is true it will underline how far we have fallen under our leader.

  5. draxler?!We have iwobi who is a midfield enigma.A passer a dribbler and a finisher
    Lemar?!There is wilshere in our team.
    A world class player who is running the show in the Europa league.
    Romeu?Have you forgotten there is an elneny in our team who once won consecutive arsenal player of the month awards?
    Tarkowski is no match for rob holding.
    Who was great in last season’s fa cup matches against citeh and chelski

  6. Wilfred zaha is a very good player and his is a good addition to our team. The team can also add the likes of lanzini, Joe allen and shaqiri and let go those who don’t want to play for the team or those who no longer perform

    1. Zaha is a failed Man U player who runs down blind alleys. If we buy him it will be like getting an expensive Gervinho back. Aargh!!

  7. Going to be the same as it is every year, we’ll all be waiting and apart from maybe a freebie Wenger will tell us “he’s satisfied with he’s squad”. That’s why Kroenke loves and won’t get rid of him

  8. We can all, presumably, pick many players which we would like to come to Arsenal. I however, no longer think it matters a jot who comes or leaves, UNTIL Wenger is gone. Our present squad, given a proper manager coaching , selecting and playing them in correct positions , would I believe achieve top four this season. I give Wenger no chance at all of making top four. 6th , which is what I believe is likely at best, is though, by no means certain. For many years now Wenger has behaved oddly where Arsenal teams are concerned. His constant undermining of talented players by using them incorrectly, playing out of position, subbing or not even picking them, buying players for other positions we need less keenly than the gaping holes everywhere we look,(CDM esp and some quality CB’s to step in immediately) has bemused and undermined much of our whole squad. And us fans! Judged PURELY on the way he misruns the club, one might consider he actually wants to continue our remoresless drift towards mid table and lower, if he stays long enough. Of course I don’t say he does this deliberately to continue drifting BUT he just thrashes around blindly and hopelessly, waving his arms around and making myriad excuses, blaming everyone and everything but himself. In this era of totally professional , highly organised and productively coaching top managers at all our rivals, THIS IS HIGHLIGHTED SO CLEARLY BY AWFUL COMPARISON WITH THOSE PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS. Even at clubs further down but who are clearly far better than Wenger. Dyche, Howe, Benitez, Silva and others whose managers are modern and dedicated in their methods and who actually beieve in methods. Seems to me Wenger believes in having no discernable organisation or coaching whatsoever. This is why I feel certain that until Wenger is gone, everything else is just like putting on ointment on a broken artery that is bleeding the club to death and destruction.

  9. 5 players Arsenal should buy in January… just FIVE?! Why not 10 while we’re at it? Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll be lucky to buy one, if any. And it’s probably gonna be Kim Kallstrom.

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