Arsenal is not expected to be that busy in the January transfer window.
You can take it to the bank that tens of players will be linked with a move to Arsenal this January. However, the chances are that there will be very little to get excited about.
There are various areas in the team that need strengthening with defence the most urgent and so it is reasonable to assume that there may be a defensive acquisition this month. Whether it will be a permanent signing or a loan deal is anyone’s guess.
Arsenal does require a central defender following the injury to Calum Chambers, add to that the lack of quality in the centre and you have to think that Mikel Arteta is tempted to ask the board to act.
I would suggest that Arteta is most probably content with all other areas in the team and is happy to go to the end of the season with the players he already has.
If Granit Xhaka or another midfielder was to depart then, of course, you would expect the club to bring in a replacement, same applies with the forwards, especially Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
But I am very doubtful that there will be any profile departures with only Shkodran Mustafi a real strong candidate to leave before the month comes to a conclusion.
So, all things considered, the time of year, the lack of viable options in the market, possible financial restrictions and so forth, I am of the opinion that we will see one signing only this month and that it will be a defender.
The only caveat I would put in place is if an important player was either injured or sold.
Who comes in will depend on who goes out.
Correct Reggie.No departures means an absence of incomings.
If this club really cares about changing the culture they must be active in this month’s transfer window…this has been a real sore spot for this club over the years and we deserve a new narrative…how many times have we crapped the bed in this window since Kroenke has been in power? From useless Brazilian defenders to injured aging midfielders to absolutely nothing when seemingly half our starting 11 were out injured…at what point will our absentee landlord finally risk something for this incredibly loyal fanbase…of course some will suggest that we were active when we brought in Auba during the January transfer window, but we likewise lost our best player and our starting striker in that same window…we need a major addition without a “major” subtraction…don’t let our goodwill towards Arteta disguise the totally disgraceful ineptitude of our pathetic owner
We have money to buy players we desperately need today; we have no LB nor RB!!! And obviously, a top CB!!! Or we will fight for survival, no top4 miracle hope at all!
Cancelo, Kurzawa available on loans from City & PSG. Napoli made Koulibaly available but no Pepe payement plan we tried.
I guess Chelsea will put that check and also nail Zaha & or Traoré! Laugh at us as Kroenke makes this club.
What about his board? And Arteta?
Niles, now Saka becomes a LB. Just named 2 players available on loans.
Gatuzzo priority been Torreira and wants Kolas. Give both of these players and add 40 to 50M; close this deal; eyes closed!
We have enough players in midfield, a good replacement for Kolas in a Kurzawa ready to play.
Reds ended defense issues that way, put the money!
Finally; sell Xhaka and bring Partey, we look this way:
Leno
Cancelo Koulibaly Luiz Cancelo
Partey – Willock
Ozil
Pepe Laca Auba
We have many options to pair with Koulibaly.
That Kroenke just doesn’t give a crap beside keep all profits. We are making him richer than he is!
You my friend are high 🤪
I thank God you are not our manager, Sell Torreira and replace him with willock? Seriously? Never seen a crazier request.
If anyone cares to read MA’s latest quotes on tranfers in the January window, he has told us what the plans are.
It has nothing to do with players leaving, going out on loan or any other scenario us fans want to invent.
He has said that the club has been told of the positions he wants to strengthen, he has identified his choices and the club are aware and looking…this was reported in “London News” and carried a direct quote from MA, which I may not have printed exactly word for word, but the meaning is clear to all.
Surely that is what MA would have INSISTED on before he signed, back me up or I stay at city?
Well thats told us then, lets see the players come in then ken, we have been told.
Don’t shoot the messenger Reggie, I just inform other gooners what MA is saying directly to the press.
Sorry if I offended you, perhaps you would rather ignore his words and carry on speculating? After all, he is only the coach!!!
No no ken thanks for the lecture. Im looking forward to all the players coming in, we have been told.
Im sure Arteta INSISTED ken thats good enough for me.
Glad to see you are taking notice Reggie, rather than declaring with such authority that “who comes in depends on who goes out”… where did you got that first hand knowledge from? It was so sincere and made with such clarity, I believed it…until I read MA’s own comments, let’s see how it plays out shall we?
Your version or Mikel Arteta’s…that is the question we must make our minds up to believe in…
Or your disparaging version ken but we come to expect that from you.
Reggie, not MY views, but straight from the coach, so to speak… and if you see the use of capital letters as disparaging, rather than as a tool to emphasize a point, you must be very thin skinned indeed.
I note your use of the word “we” when it’s just you, singly, who seems to have taken such offense over an effort to impart information from the coach himself, thereby questioning (not disparaging) your personal views.
As I have already said, let’s wait and see what transpires and see if MA gets the players he has said he wants and how many players leave the club…bickering over the use of CAPITAL LETTERS and how you interpret them, seems a mere trifle in comparison.
No ken the desparaging part is the way we INVENT our posts because thats what us fans do and yours is fact. But like i said i suppose where you are concerned we should get used to being put down in what we write unlike the accurate posts you do. I have good reason why i put what i did but i invent mine, while you are so accurate. Oh now there is me being desparaging now.
Once again Reggie, you are speaking for the multitude it seems – I didn’t write what MA said, I imparted it on to the fan base, so they could look at it and draw their own conclusions.
My PERSONAL input, was the part that suggested MA would have insisted on transfer funds…and that opinion was based on Ma’s comments.
As you can see, Jon Fox has commented on my post in a sensible and constructive way, by questioning the interpretation of how I perceived MA’s words, this is debating a subject, not individuals.
If you feel so personally offended by my posts, can I suggest you just bypass them and neither of us will waste valuable time answering each other?
Ken you might well have hoped so , as to your final line. Love to think you are right, though I have doubts and how I read the situation is that Arteta was/is desperately keen to be in charge here and was given no guarantees that he would ever follow Pep as Citys next manager, so he jumped at our job. I think he will certainly have asked for some new signings and also specified who he wants and wants Kroenkes full support BUT that does not mean he will get it. I won’t quite put it as beggars can’t be choosers but there is a distinct element of that, IMO. Which is one, among other, reasons why HE got the job, rather than a bigger established name like Allegri. He would never have taken the job without cast iron guarantees of huge funds, so was never seriously considered.
Jon, if you read what he has actually said, then it can mean nothing other than the club has promised to back him.
I believe if he doesn’t get the full support of kronkie he will be off straight away…and there will be many suitors wanting him!!!
Also, if kronkie doesn’t back him and MA leaves because of that, what has gone on before with the fans, will seem like a picnic compared to the backlash that will occur.
As for Allegri, you answered your own doubts by saying “huge funds”…MA doesn’t need huge funds, as he has already proven with the performances to date…Allegri has always had to depend on them.
So have faith Jon, this coach will stand up and deliver the goods.
Obviously the club will back him within the policies and restrictions every other manager has or had been. The problem lies in the club working within the restraints of FFP and the way the club is run. We are hamstrung in what we can do to keep within the limits. We are in a situation that every deal this club does now, limits our future spending. We haven’t got 50 mil to dpend in January like some are saying and our SPENDING will be done in the summer. If we can wheel and deal in January we will, im sure but thats what it will be.
Ken I am just as convinced as you and many others , in fact almost 100% of Gooners, on Artetas ability. But I tend not to take statements all at face value as you seem to often do.
There is a world of difference between wanting and needing, on the one hand and getting, on the other hand. It may just be my own background in high finance and in theatre but I know from bitter experience that not all are as open and upfront as you and I. WE TEND TO SAY OUR TRUE THOUGHTS OPENLY AND HONESTLY, and that is always to be respected.
But in the business world things are often, though admittedly not always, very different. PERHAPS I AM JUST AN OLD SCEPTIC, BUT AS YOU KNOW, I PREFER TO BE A CALLED A REALIST. I believe that is not without good reason either. Even people with huge personal principles are often pragmatic severely when faced with the bleak reality of lack of money available to spend. Or to put it more accurately, ALLOWABLE to spend.
Well Jon, as I said previously to Reggie…let’s wait and see.
This January window will see if my interpretation of Ma’s words are correct OR just wishfull thinking.
No players in will be disastrous for the club and I can’t possibly think down that road – enough of the gloom and doom, let’s go and thrash leeds tomorrow, sign three players on Tuesday and then do palace.
Ken Further to my above reply to your post. I think it premature to state that “MA doesn’t need huge funds as he has amply proved… etc”. Like you, I am enormously excited by his quality and his sense of clear direction already set, plus his toughness, with emotional intelligence in man management. But Ken, he is not GOD ALMIGHTY and we desperately need quality players aplenty and virtually a whole new outfield defence. Sheer weight of spending power has been one prime reason for Citys success and remember it was not all accomplished under Pep , who is widely regarded as a football genius. I would like to see how Pep copes with such as Mustafi, Xhaka Mustafi and co. REALITY!
Jon, I’m surprised you haven’t already seen how MA has coped with the players he has inherited.
Surely you have seen the change in players such as Torerria, Ozil, Pepe and, indeed, Xhaka himself?
I am well aware that MA is not GOD ALMIGHTY Jon, please don’t make it seem that I do, as that devalues our conversation, doesn’t it?
We do need to reinforce, but not to the extent that you seem to think we have to, in order to be competitive – I have never thought that, not even under U
Let me be more specific on what I see as our first eleven and back ups:
G.K. Leno Martinez Macey
R.B. Bellerin AMN PLUS a *New signing of quality.
C.D. Chambers Holding Saliba Mavropanos
L.B. Tierney Kolasinac
D.M. Torreira Xhaka Luiz(?) PLUS a *New signing of quality.
M.F. AMN Nelson Willock Guendouzi Smith-Rowe
A.M. Ozil Ceballos (New signing of quality)
Wing Pepe Martinelli Nelson PLUS a*New signing of quality ( Zaha?).
Fwds Nketiah Auba Lacs
Now, that would leave Elneny, Myk, Mustafi and Sokratis to use as collateral to sell and part fund the *three signings that I, personally, see as immediate areas to strengthen – I have left both Xhaka and Luiz in the squad, simply because I feel MA sees them as part of his IMMEDIATE future.
If we can get the three *, or even two* in the January window, then, in my opinion we have a squad that will compete with anyone in the premiership and achieve the goal of CL football, be it via top four or europa cup.
Once that goal is obtained, then we can start looking to strengthen the likes of Luiz, Xhaka and any of the younger players who don’t make it and. of course, Ceballos, if he returns to Spain.
Some fans are to eager to write off our current players (unlike MA I should add) and three signings might just be a realistic ask for kronkie, let’s wait and see.
Oh ffs… so much for Ancelotti… Everton are still losing 😖
Great goal though Sue, walcott coming off….great first half – Arsenal second half performance!!!
I don’t believe it, Ken… all those first half chances they missed! Just like our carabao cup game. And their goalscorer converted the winning penalty against us 😫
Sue, are we on TV tonight? I can’t seem to find the game anywhere!!
What’s the betting that, if we beat leeds, we get drawn against them at anfield?
Tomorrow, Ken. We’ve taken the place of Eastenders, on BBC1.
Oh don’t, Ken 😂 I never want us to go to Anfield ever again!!
Everton – shame on you 😭
Jeez Sue, I’m really losing it and I could have gone down as my wife feels better. No chance now though, I’ve been booked to go shopping!!!
I haven’t recovered from Christmas it seems!!!
Still, I’m waiting for Margaret Thatcher to reinstate the poll tax next week and for Michael Foot to oppose it…I will be glued to the radio,listening for the Monday third round fa cup draw and making plans for my next Highbury game in the North Bank.
Oh no, not shopping 😂
I am hoping it’ll be pretty packed out, but after checking the ticket exchange (for Sheffield United tickets) I’m not so sure – an awful lot are on there… hopefully there will still be a great atmosphere! I think it said the draw will be done before the game (please not Liverpool 😄)
Haha Margaret Thatcher!! You do make me laugh, Ken!
Well Ken I can rival you in daftness I missed the Liverpool game on TV and forgot the time, as I was busy on theatre work. Unlike you and Sue and many others though, I was pleased when I found they had beat Everton. I greatly admire the whole way Liverpool is won and since we cannot win it, I am very pleased that Liverpool will win the Prem. I also supported them in the world championship recently. Great community club who care for and treat their fans well, unlike us. If I were looking for a club to support today for the first time, I would look no further than them. I must be honest! Sorry Sue!
omg, KEN1945, you certainally have got my memory racing now , you mentioned glued to the radio listening to the draw for the cup.wow, such fond memories for me also. the only trouble waS back then we, here in ireland, could only barely get radio 5 live , or before that i think it was the LIGHT programme.the reception was always dreadful and we could only barely make out what was going on . same of course for the second half commentary of games, that was even more frustrating, the signal would fade and come back, lol.thank goodness for the internet. although 5 live is blocked in ireland,when they are broadcasting live games.them was the days when BRIAN BUTLER and the other commentators, whose names i cannot remember, lol.i kinda preferred it way back then , everything is too easy and instant now.omg, i better stop going back.
Re Liverpool match,I only wish we had a centre back with the ability of Gomez.A Rolls Royce of a defender.
The spotlight has to be on Raul Sanheili; the transfer business done since his arrival has been extremely underwhelming.
Socrates over Soyucci!!!
By the way Leicester City is currently interested in his Turkish International team mate CB to introduce the “Turkish Wall” to the EPL.