With the January transfer window about to open, Mikel Arteta will be plotting a strategy to take Arsenal to the next level.
The Gunners are unlikely to be hugely busy in this winter transfer window, but Mikel Arteta will still be keen to pounce upon any opportunity to strengthen his ranks that might present itself.
Arsenal have been told to sign a striker, and bringing a reliable, clinical goalscorer to the Emirates Stadium certainly ought to be the top priority.
However, if the North London club are to hunt down and surpass Liverpool in the Premier League title race in the second half of the season, then they will likely need to bolster their options in other parts of the pitch too.
Viktor Gyokeres
Whilst Gabriel Jesus has made a dramatic return to form recently, and Kai Havertz has done a solid job of leading the line for Arsenal, Arteta’s squad still lacks a truly prolific goalscorer.
Bringing Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates Stadium would address this issue, as the Sporting star is one of the most clinical marksmen in world football at the moment.
Already this season, the Sweden international has racked up 27 goals and 5 assists in just 26 appearances, across all competitions.
The 26-year-old won’t come cheap, and Manchester United may have an edge over Arsenal in the race to sign Gyokeres, but Arteta still ought to make him his top target.
Gyokeres may feel he has unfinished business in English football, having previously shone in the Championship, but never having had the chance to prove his worth in the Premier League. This factor could be used to lure him to the Emirates Stadium.
Ademola Lookman
Bukayo Saka’s recent injury may have made the need to sign a new winger all the more urgent in Arteta’s mind.
Ademola Lookman could provide cover for the injured Saka, and compete for game time on either flank even when Arteta has a full complement of fit players at his disposal.
Whilst the 27-year-old has failed to truly sparkle in the Premier League in the past, he has taken his game to a whole new level since joining Atalanta in Serie A.
Arsenal have scouted Lookman, and will know that he could add quality to Arteta’s squad in January.
Bruno Guimaraes
The balance of the Arsenal midfield has not always been perfect this season, and Arteta is over-reliant on Declan Rice in this part of the pitch.
Newcastle United ace Bruno Guimaraes would offer the Gunners greater physically in the middle of the park, and he is a player capable of making an impact at both ends of the pitch.
Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Guimaraes before, and whilst he could not be prised away from St James’ Park cheaply, he represents an investment seriously worth considering this winter.
He has proven Premier League pedigree, plays with the kind of tenacity that would quickly endear him to the Emirates Stadium faithful, and would ease the burden on Rice with Thomas Partey and Jorginho both in the twilight years of their careers.
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