This year’s January transfer window in the Premier League is very important for Arsenal. The Gunners are contenders to win the league title and further reinforcements could help them end their bid at the 19th attempt.
Whilst this year’s Arsenal squad is relatively well set up, there are still positions that lack healthy competition or adequate replacement in case of injury. After years, Arsenal managed to fix the defense flaw. After the World Cup in Qatar, where Gabriel Jesus was injured, at least one quality striker is missing to cover the backs of Martinelli, Nketiah and Saka.
The reserve line would also need adequate additions, as Partey is prone to injuries and the team lacks a suitable replacement, as Lokonga is not yet at a sufficient level. At the same time, Elneny plays the role of a substitute player who usually arrives in a determined state to strengthen a defensively tuned game.
The most frequent inflection name is Mykhailo Mudryk. The young Shakhtar Donetsk star is regarded as a great talent and has made no secret of his desire to move to Arsenal. In Shakhtar, on the other hand, they make the most of their talent, and in relation to the transfer there has been talk several times of 85-100 million euros immediately.
Arsenal’s first offer of €40 million outright and €20 million bonus had to be rejected and Arsenal had to come up with a better offer. Whether the clubs will reach an agreement remains to be seen.
Another candidate for a very expensive transfer is Jude Bellingham. This player is performing well at club level in Borussia Dortmund and also performed at the World Cup in Qatar. Sums in excess of £120m also fell in connection with this player. Arsenal are said to be interested, but an official offer has not yet been made.
Arsenal are also rumored to be interested in the services of Serbian goalscorer Dušan Vlahovič. But Chelsea, who are also interested in this young player, are tough competition. Vlahovič has been linked to Arsenal several times in the past.
Another player often linked to Arsenal is Leicester’s Youri Tielemans. This player should have been in the Gunners’ sights several times, but the transfer always failed. Tielemans’ contract expires in the summer and he doesn’t want to sign a new one with Leicester. The transfer fee could reportedly only be around £20 million.
In relation to the Gunners, João Felix of Atlético Madrid is also often mentioned. Arsenal would be interested in a six-month loan, but Atlético would ask up to £21m for him, which is too high. Therefore, the clubs have not yet reached an agreement, and if Atlético don’t make concessions, they won’t even come to an agreement.
Rumors of big Arsenal signings have also been fueled by Stan Kroenke taking out a special £70m loan deal for Arsenal. But the fans will most likely be very disappointed, as these funds are not intended to finance transfers, but serve as a financial buffer in case of complications, such as those during the coronavirus pandemic.
Whether Pepé’s current transfer record of £72m will fall remains to be seen, and in the case of the Bellingham signing, that would be very likely. Instead of breaking records, Arsenal should focus on efficiency of invested funds, as they have been up until now.
The lineup is built mostly on young talents and players from their own academy. So far, every pound invested in transfers has paid off and hopefully will continue.
Source: Dailymail, Facebook, Football.london, Mirror, The Sun
