I think it's safe to say that everything bar the end of the summer transfer window was a success for Arsenal. Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira represent top-quality additions that undoubtedly raise the bar of Mikel Arteta's squad, but injuries in midfield and a lack of availability on the flanks mean it hasn't taken long for worrying gaps to appear.
The club's priority heading into the final week of the window was well-documented to be a new winger following the loan departure of Nicolas Pepe. Arteta confirmed his exit was part of long-term discussions and that signing a replacement would be looked into if it was possible, which it ultimately wasn't.
Injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny led to a change of approach in the hours leading up to deadline day, with a midfielder becoming the centre of attention for obvious reasons. That pursuit also ended in failure despite three bids going in for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz. As a result, it means January could be busier than initially anticipated for technical director Edu and it appears plans are already well underway.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta has already revealed why Arsenal are looking to complete £17m transfer in January
football.london understands moves for Palmeiras talent Danilo and the aforementioned Luiz could be revisited in the winter, while Shakhtar Donetsk forward Mykhaylo Mudryk was one of the names to have been looked at before the injuries in midfield were sustained. The Athletic claimed Arsenal even considered an official bid for the Ukrainian after receiving positive feedback about his talent and temperament.
However, with interest said to be growing in the winger and Shakhtar raising their asking price to upwards of £43m, contingency plans could be required. That's where Alex Baena comes into the mix, with Spanish outlet SPORT reporting Arsenal are one of several Premier League sides interested in the 21-year-old.
After climbing up the ranks of Villarreal's academy since 2011, Baena finally made his breakthrough while on loan at Girona last season where he scored five goals and provided six assists in 38 league appearances. The Spanish U21 international already looks set to smash that record after racking up six goals and two assists in ten matches so far during the current campaign.
It's led to Arsenal along with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea showing interest in the player, who could be signed for around £30.5million due to a release clause in his contract. The report adds that Villarreal would like to tie Baena down to a new contract which would see the figure of the clause increase and possibly fend off clubs that are circling.
Like Mudryk, Baena is mainly a left-winger who can also operate on the right or through the middle as an attacking midfielder. In total, he has eight goals and eight assists to his name across 31 appearances for Villarreal's first team.
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