With the January transfer window almost coming to an end, Arsenal are still deep into their business to ensure that the club is in the best position to compete for the UEFA Champions League places come the end of the season.
The Gunners have been very busy in offloading, with four players exiting the club this window. But the same cannot be said for the activity surrounding incomings.
Despite Edu being unable to make any signings so far, Mikel Arteta is expected to bring in new players this month after he said: "I think with the number of things, and the way we want to evolve the squad, we have to maximise every window in many different ways and we are alert."
Uncertainty is creeping in and around the north London side at the moment, but The Arsenal Way's Bailey Keogh and Tom Canton pick out six things that they believe will 'definitely' happen before the transfer market closes on January 31st.
Bailey Keogh - Arsenal Fan Brands Writer & Presenter
Arsenal will miss out on a striker
It was Dusan Vlahovic or bust for Arsenal in this transfer window in terms of signing a striker, and now the likelihood of a forward coming into the club will be in the summer instead.
Strikers of real quality are hard to sign in the winter window, and Vlahovic was available due to his contract situation.
Alexander Isak needs until the end of the season to prove that he is ready to make the move, as his £75 million release clause will be a big risk.
Jonathan David and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are Arsenal’s other reported striker transfer targets according to The Athletic, but will not be available until the summer.
A midfielder will be signed
Despite the shortages in midfield being less of an issue due to the returns of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny, Arsenal still need more quality in this area.
There are many options in the January transfer window, and Edu will sign a midfielder to ensure the Gunners have acquired an outfield player this winter.
Arthur is in the works, and there are certainly alternatives for the club to explore.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will stay
Despite all the speculation surrounding Aubameyang’s future this month, he will still remain at the club.
His wages are the main reason for this, as it is highly unlikely that a club will want to pay the same money he makes at Arsenal.
Clubs in Asia may be willing to do it, but it seems Aubameyang wants to stay in Europe which means his departure from the club is unlikely to happen in this window.
Tom Canton - Arsenal Fan Brands Writer & Presenter
Arsenal social media outrage...rightly and wrongly
If there is one thing that an Arsenal fan scrolling through their Twitter feed can guarantee, it is a meltdown of some kind or outrage over recent results. In the case of the January window, it is a lack of transfer activity sparking fury.
However, Arsenal supporters do have reason to be frustrated. Loaning out Ainsley Maitland-Niles only to have a shortage at both central midfield and right-back in January is a regretful decision that has already had an impact.
Whereas the outrage over not signing Dusan Vlahovic to the point of it being described as a ‘waste of time’ by some certainly isn’t.
The club showed ambition to sign a player of the highest quality and potential but failed. Yet these moves, if successful, are what will help elevate the club back to the elite level and this setback should not deter them in the future.
However, should the club not reinforce the striking position whatsoever, when cheaper short-term options are available, then criticism should rightly be aimed towards technical director Edu.
Rumours of loan deals
Already Arsenal have been linked with a move for Luka Jovic in the last 48 hours and football.london understands the club have been offered the chance to sign him on loan, however, he is likely not to be the only player the Gunners are considering.
The need for a striker continues and the club has also looked to the midfield for reinforcement. Juventus’ Arthur Melo was considered for a move and the player’s agent even met with Edu this month, but the Italian side has been resistant to the idea of lending the former Barcelona man out.
With time running out, loan deals are simpler to complete than the intricacies of a permanent move and therefore it would not be surprising for further reports of loan interest to surface between now and the deadline.
Hyperbolic fan analysis of flights and lip-reading of Arteta
For all the failings that have been associated with us Arsenal supporters and our online antics, there are plenty of hilarious wins that emerge during the window that can entertain us all.
The analysis of flights that could possibly contain a player on his way to the club is sure to re-emerge should Arsenal manage to secure a deal for a last-minute striker. Any photos of the hypothetical signing on their social media will be scanned in forensic detail to determine their location.
A new phenomenon has seen the clip of Mikel Arteta in attendance at Stan Kroenke’s Colorado Avalanche NHL game where the pair are seen close together. Arteta is seen speaking with someone out of shot and fans have already been trying to decipher what the manager is saying. A new one, but still a fantastic piece of fandom during a low point for supporters at present.
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