It's not so long ago that Arsenal were crying out for a bit of creativity in their midfield. As Boxing Day of 2020 approached the Gunners sat 15th in the Premier League having failed to win in seven matches and having scored fewer goals than every team in the division bar Sheffield United, West Brom and Burnley.
Luckily though the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe into the side helped spearhead a revival that begun with a 3-1 home victory over Frank Lampard's Chelsea side. Things instantly began to improve, but there was still an acceptance that more was needed in the squad to fashion chances for the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, particularly when Mesut Ozil left the club to join Fenerbahce.
As a result, when the January transfer window came along there were plenty of creative players linked with a move to the Emirates. Among them were Lyon's Houssem Aouar and Isco of Real Madrid, but the two names mentioned most heavily were those of Philippe Coutinho and Martin Odegaard.
