Following Arsenal’s poor start to the season, here’s a look at four players the Gunners could sign in the January transfer window as Freddie Ljungberg looks to get his side’s league campaign back on track;
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Arsenal need to bolster their midfield once the January transfer window opens up. Granit Xhaka has proven that he is incapable of manning Arsenal’s midfield, and thus, needs to be replaced – one player who could do just that is Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Doucoure was highly sought-after last season with the likes of Everton and even Paris Saint-Germain looking to acquire his services following his impressive performances for Watford which led them to a decent 11th place finish last season after threatening to secure an European qualification spot at the start of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign.
Watford currently find themselves sat at the bottom of the table having garnered just eight points from 14 games this season. Due to Watford’s poor form, Arsenal could sign Doucoure for much cheaper than the £50m price tag PSG were considering paying last season.
A strong box-to-box midfielder, Doucoure is able to make attacking contributions whilst making his side’s midfield difficult to penetrate.
In a functional Arsenal side, Doucoure could realise his full potential as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Wilfried Zaha
Over the past few seasons, Premier League neutrals have been patiently waiting for Wilfried Zaha to secure a move to a much bigger side than Crystal Palace in a bid to truly make his mark on the football world.
The Gunners made multiple failed attempts to sign Zaha in the summer transfer window, but considering Arsenal’s current situation, it would be wise to make another bid for the Ivory Coast international’s services in a bid to provide Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with some extra help in the attacking third.
Zaha would thrive in Freddie Ljungberg’s 4-2-3-1 system playing in a number 10 role or on the flanks and utilising his pace and creativity to create goalscoring opportunities for Aubameyang.
Dayot Upamecano
Arsenal’s defensive set-up, for a club of their stature, is below par.
The likes of Sokratis, Mustafi and David Luiz have proven to be far too unreliable to be mainstays in Arsenals backlike, hence; if the Gunners are to have a realistic chance of turning their torrid season around in the second half of the Premier League campaign they should consider making a move for Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano.
The 21-year-old has featured in nine Bundesliga games for Leipzig and reportedly has a £40m price tag which, considering his ability, age and potential, is quite reasonable.
Upamecano has an 85.7% aerial duel success rate and a 91.4% pass success rate as a big part of his play revolves around being able to pass the ball out from the back.
Yannick Carrasco
Carrasco has been on Arsenal’s radar for over a year now but the Belgian winger has proven elusive despite the Gunners’ interest in him.
If the Gunners are unable to sign Zaha during the January transfer window, they could potentially renew their interest in the former Atletico Madrid star who has notched 17 goals in 25 games for Chinese Super League side Dalian Aebrin.
