Arsenal might be absolutely flying at the moment but the question remains the same - can they maintain their fine form throughout the season?
Mikel Arteta’s side came within touching distance of qualifying for the Champions League just a few months ago, but a lack of depth and firepower meant they ultimately fell short at a crucial stage.
Many of those gaps have now been filled thanks to the summer arrivals of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabio Vieira, but areas of concern remain for Arteta, who confirmed the club will be active in January if possible.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta outlines Arsenal January transfer plan amid Mudryk, Torres and Danilo interest
“The planning of that period is extremely difficult,” he said. “First of all because we know the January window, how special it is, the opportunities that you have, the short window that you have.
“Once you get the player they are straight away competing, so there is not an adaptation process. And obviously, with the position that we are in right now as well, it demands as well another level of player - and that player has to be available. We will look at everything and let’s see what we can do,” Arteta added.
The Gunners decided against signing anyone last winter, but with the team on fire and positioning itself strongly for a successful campaign, Arteta and technical director Edu will be keen to avoid the same mistake this time around.
A host of names have and continue to be linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium including Mykhaylo Mudryk, Danilo and most recently, Facundo Torres.
Various reports have claimed that Arsenal will hold talks with the representatives of Torres, who joined Orlando City for around £7.8million earlier this year. The Uruguayan international enjoyed an impressive debut season in MLS, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists across 33 league appearances.
Despite his clear and obvious talent, some have been left underwhelmed by the links to Torres due to his lack of experience at a level equivalent to the Premier League. However, former USMNT goalkeeper Kasey Keller believes Arsenal’s interest is a sign that the MLS is improving and that Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron should be looked at as an example.
“As the level of the MLS continues to improve, and the prices of buying players in other leagues around the world is getting more expensive, there is a thought process that you can get a young player out of the MLS, maybe loan them out and see if we can grab someone for a price that makes sense,” Keller told Betway.
“In the MLS, there was a thing where the money was divided up almost like a pyramid scheme. That’s coming to an end because the league is getting full.
“So what was a league that resisted selling players, is now understanding that to build revenue they need to get into the world transfer market. Because you’re still building your stature, then maybe you sell for less than the other leagues, but teams are paying attention.
“When you have a player like Miguel Almiron at Newcastle, really starting to come good. You start to understand, maybe MLS is a more viable option to buy players here and there. Success builds success, if more players are at that level then more teams will look at that to see if it makes sense.”
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