Arsenal did not make any signings during the January transfer window, despite high-profile efforts to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina earlier in the month.
The club have decided to wait until the summer before bolstering their squad but as a result, did the Gunners miss out on a number of players this winter that would have improved their squad?
Mikel Arteta's squad does look a little thin on the ground after a number of players left the club in January, but they could have been replaced. Here we take a look at some of the players who changed clubs in recent weeks who could have improved Arteta's options at the Emirates Stadium.
Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon to Newcastle United)
Arsenal don't have much depth in the middle of the park, with Arteta referencing the need for a central midfielder at times during the window. The Gunners supposedly explored the possibilities of signing Arthur Melo from Juventus and Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa.
Newcastle United also wanted to address their midfield department, and they pulled off a coup by landing Lyon's Bruno Guimaraes for around £35million.
The Brazilian midfielder is just 24 years old and he's regarded as a big prospect with plenty of ability to contribute immediately. Guimaraes is accustomed to playing as part of a midfield two, and he possesses a well-rounded skill set.
So far this season, no player in the French top-flight has completed more progressive passes than Guimaraes' total of 144, and he also places top for through balls and sixth for passes into the penalty box.
He's one of the best in France at finding the valuable areas of the pitch and he's impressive when operating in tight spaces. In fact, no player in Ligue 1 has made more passes while under pressure than the South American this season.
Guimaraes could've notably upgraded Arteta's midfield.
Wout Weghorst (Wolfsburg to Burnley)
Adding a striker to the squad seemed to become Arsenal's biggest priority as the window progressed, with top target Vlahovic joining Juventus rather than making a switch to the Emirates.
An alternative option who could have ticked plenty of boxes for Arteta was Wout Weghorst, who joined Burnley from Wolfsburg on Deadline Day for a fee in the region of just £12million.
Once assessing the type of striker that Arteta seemed to want, Weghorst could have been suited to the job. Vlahovic, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alexander Isak were reportedly on the club's shortlist, with each of those players offering a physical presence up top.
Weghorst is 6-foot-6 which captures his physically imposing profile, and he proved to be a very keen presser while in the Bundesliga. A Dutch international who has scored at least 11 non-penalty goals in each of his last six league campaigns, the 29 year-old could have plugged a gap until the summer.
He's 29 years-old, but Arsenal could've bought time with his signing before buying a long-term solution at the end of the season.
Arthur Cabral (FC Basel to Fiorentina)
Another striker who could have helped Arsenal's void was Arthur Cabral, who joined Fiorentina from FC Basel for a price of around £12million.
Interestingly, Cabral was Fiorentina's replacement for Vlahovic, who joined Juventus after Arsenal had tried their best to land his signature. He was deemed as a suitable successor by the Italian club, but the Gunners viewed him differently.
Just 23 years-old, the Brazilian impressed in Switzerland during his time at Basel, scoring 40 non-penalty league goals over two-and-a-half seasons including 12 this term. He also managed to register 12 assists over the same period.
There would have been an element of risk attached to Cabral's signature considering the dramatic step up in quality from the Swiss top-flight to the Premier League, but his price was reasonable and his record in recent years has been strong.
For £12million, he could've been worth a punt.
