Arsenal had a successful January transfer window, at least numerically, with three players coming into the squad to strengthen key positions needing depth. Questions were asked about the players themselves with Italian international Jorginho facing the most.
Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu have worked closely to build a squad that sees Arsenal five points clear at the head of the table with a game in hand. However, the loss to Everton at the weekend rocked the boat somewhat until Manchester City’s defeat away at Tottenham gave them a surprise boost.
Against Everton, Arteta looked lacking in ideas and his substitutions in the game failed to have a meaningful impact. Each one made was a like-for-like switch with even the profiles of the players not necessarily changing too much.
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In need of a goal, the final substitution Arteta made was to take off Ben White for Takehiro Tomiyasu. The Japanese defender, like White, is not a typical player to provide a serious offensive threat but he was the only other right full-back option.
In the window, Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Ivan Fresneda. football.london understands that the club held talks with the player’s representatives.
Fresneda is a right-back currently plying his trade in La Liga with Real Valladolid. Arsenal were amongst a number of teams pursuing the 18-year-old with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle also interested.
Fresneda’s style has been likened more so to Oleksandr Zinchenko. An inverted player who was described to football.london as a midfielder masquerading as a right-back.
Although he might not have been the Trent Alexander-Arnold-esque wing-back rampaging up the touchline to get crosses into the box, his greater offensive contributions compared to White, and Tomiyasu, would have been sure to make a point in moments the Gunners needed additional support up top.
However, the focus changed to solely the midfield come deadline day after yet another serious injury to Mohamed Elneny. Jorginho arrived and Fresneda stayed with Valladolid, but Fabrizio Romano reported that the Spaniard would get a big move in the following summer transfer window.
Whether Arsenal are still at the table come the summer only time will tell. However, for now, Arteta will have to come up with another solution to the lack of variation in the right-back position of his team as the Gunners chase down their first potential title in 19 years.
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