Mikel Arteta has an interesting trend for the January transfer window. And as a result, the Joao Felix to Arsenal transfer rumours make a lot of sense.
Since being appointed initially as Gunners head coach in December 2019, the Spaniard has experienced as many as six transfer windows and in just over a month's time, he will have overseen a seventh with the winter window proving a chance to add to his first-team squad.
And not for the first time as Arsenal manager, Arteta has been tipped to sign a host of players in the new year from Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk to Leicester City's Youri Tielemans whilst Joao Felix's name has reappeared in the gossip columns this week with his future at Atletico Madrid in doubt.
READ MORE: Mykhaylo Mudryk has already met Mikel Arteta's one condition for £40m Arsenal transfer
Now, the January transfer window can be a difficult one for teams to navigate as clubs, unsurprisingly, either look to hold on to their best players or add a couple of millions to a target's price tag. With that said, the Spaniard has revealed the Gunners will be on the market for reinforcements next month.
"We are going to be active and active means we are looking to strengthen the team," Arteta said in a press conference. "This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window. We have to do that because it’s really important. But then we have to get the right profile, it has to be the right player to take us to the next level."
But how much business with Arsenal get done in the new year? Although that question can only be answered on February 1 2023, football.london has taken a look at the business Arteta has done with the regard to the first-team squad in previous January windows to see what it can tell us about what's in store for the north London outfit.
January 2020
In: Pablo Mari (loan), Cedric (loan)
Out: Emile Smith Rowe (loan to Huddersfield Town), Dinos Mavropanos (loan to Nurnberg)
Very quiet first deadline day for Arteta as moves for Emile Smith Rowe and Dinos Mavropanos were done earlier in the window leaving him to complete loan deals for Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares in the final two days.
January 2021
In: Mat Ryan (loan), Martin Odegaard (loan)
Out: Sead Kolasinac (loan to Schalke), William Saliba (loan to Nice), Matt Macey (to Hibernian), Mesut Ozil (free to Fenerbahce), Sokratis (free to Olympiacos), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (loan to West Brom), Joe Willock (loan to Newcastle United), Shkodran Mustafi (Free to Schalke)
Arteta and Arsenal sporting director Edu's main priority in January 2021 was trimming the first-team squad and they mutually terminated the contracts of Sokratis, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi to free up space on the wage bill. Interestingly, it was only after the first two departures that the Gunners made some signings with Mat Ryan and Martin Odgeaard joining on loan within five days of each other.
That then set up a hectic deadline day as Mustafi's exit was confirmed whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock joined West Brom and Newcastle United on loan respectively. Meanwhile, Sead Kolasinac and William Saliba joined Schalke and Nice on loan respectively earlier in the window.
January 2022
In: Auston Trusty (Undisclosed)
Out: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (loan to Roma), Folarin Balogun (loan to Middlesbrough), Pablo Mari (loan to Udinese), Sead Kolasinac (free transfer to Marseille), Calum Chambers (free transfer to Aston Villa), Auston Trusty (loan to Colorado Rapids), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (released)
In reality, the first transfer window of the new year was a quiet one for Arsenal in terms of incomings as their more notable deals were outgoings, with three loan exits, Sead Kolasniac and Calum Chambers joining Marseille and Aston Villa on free transfers respectively and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaving the club by mutual consent.
There was, however, the signing of Auston Trusty in a deal that caught many by surprise on deadline day, but there were never any plans for the defender to play a part in the Gunners' quest for a top-four finish as he was loaned back to Colorado Rapids for the remainder of the season.
What does it tell us?
Under Arteta, there is a theme developing regarding Arsenal's signings in January. History tells us that the Spaniard has added five new players to his first-team squad in the three winter transfer windows he has experienced as a manager/head coach. Interestingly four of these have been loan deals.
And it just so happens to be that the Gunners have been tipped to battle Chelsea and Manchester United for Joao Felix's signature next month amid reports that the Portugal international will be available for an £8m loan deal from Atletico Madrid.
With Pablo Mari, Cedric and Odegaard, in particular, all joining Arsenal on loan in a January window during Arteta's reign, perhaps that is a sign that the club will indeed pursue another temporary deal for Felix next month as cover for the injured Gabriel Jesus.
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