The 2022 World Cup is drawing to a close and Arsenal supporters have already got a taste of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners before they return to Premier League action on Boxing Day.
Victories over Lyon and AC Milan in the Dubai Super Cup teased Arsenal’s majesty once more as they seek to maintain their advantage at the top of the league once domestic football makes its comeback.
The upcoming January transfer window will also be playing on the Gunners’ mind. This is a huge opportunity for the club to bolster its squad and put themselves in an optimal position to enjoy a prosperous second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
Mikel Arteta has already hinted that the club will be busy this winter, and here are three positions they should consider bolstering.
The Gunners opted against signing a midfielder (discounting the creative Fabio Vieira) in the summer and their decision has been vindicated by Granit Xhaka’s startling run of form and Thomas Partey’s availability.
However, if Arteta’s side are to maintain a title challenge with Manchester City then more depth in midfield areas wouldn’t go amiss – even if it isn’t a priority.
Arsenal were linked with both defensive and box-to-box midfielders in the summer, with Palmeiras’ Danilo a supposed target. The young Brazilian would provide cover for Partey at the base of midfield if he was brought to the club, but several teams are keen on signing the 21-year-old.
Youri Tielemans is a possibility should Arsenal opt to target a more advanced midfielder, one that could rotate with Xhaka. The Belgian’s contract expires in the summer and he’s yet to pen an extension with Leicester.
Keep an eye on former Arsenal academy starlet Yunus Musah, too.
‘priority’ in the upcoming transfer window.</p>
<p>Mudryk primarily operates off the left but he’s capable of functioning across the front line. His talent remains raw so it might take him a while to settle, but his potential is sky-high.</p>
<p>He could prove to be an X-factor addition down the stretch.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/14/3-positions-arsenal-looking-bolster-january/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 position to bolster in January </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>3. Striker</h2>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-130825" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/14/3-positions-arsenal-looking-bolster-january/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1244580482.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1244580482.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1244580482-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal will be without Gabriel Jesus for the foreseeable future. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)</p>
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<p>Gabriel Jesus’ injury isn’t believed to have altered Arsenal’s January plans, but the club should nonetheless be considering signing an emergency forward option this winter.</p>
<p>A versatile forward capable of operating centrally and out wide would be ideal – <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/14/3-positions-arsenal-looking-bolster-january/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/09/3-reasons-why-arsenal-should-target-cody-gakpo-in-january/">
*cough* Cody Gakpo <em>*cough*</em></a>. Joao Felix and Jonathan David have also been <a title="2 forwards Arsenal could target in January after Gabriel Jesus’ injury" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/14/3-positions-arsenal-looking-bolster-january/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/07/2-forwards-arsenal-target-january-gabriel-jesus-injury/" rel="">tenuously linked</a> with the club.</p>
<p>However, Arsenal are unlikely to spend big here considering <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/14/3-positions-arsenal-looking-bolster-january/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/12/11/eddie-nketiah-can-carry-the-burden/">Eddie Nketiah’s potential as Jesus’ deputy</a>. While Eddie has struggled this season, he showed at the back end of 2021/22 that he’s more than capable of leading the Gunners’ front line when surrounded by greater talent in midfield and forward areas.</p>
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<p>A short-term loan might do the trick for Arteta, but it’ll be tough to find a striker who aligns with the Spaniard’s prototypical front man and is willing to join the club for just a few months.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
