Welcome to the latest edition of the Arsenal mailbag.
More than 200 questions came in. There was some overlap due to the very clear need for Arsenal to fix their striker situation, particularly given the situation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, so sorry to those whose comments were not addressed directly.
The January transfer window is the hot topic but before diving in, it is worth mentioning there is a big read on Arsenal and potential striker options here.
We spent so much money in summer, Mikel Arteta should be able to do something with the current squad. Or he should first sell some players to buy new ones with the earned money? — Denis D.
This is a good point to start from. Arsenal spent nearly £150 million on six players this summer, which will make major changes to the squad in the short term unlikely unless the short-term futures of a few players are also resolved.
Front men Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are the players who fit this bill specifically.
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The Athletic reported that any move for a striker in the summer would be dependent on the futures of those two, and that will likely be the case in January, too. The pair being free to negotiate pre-contractual agreements with other clubs come the new year complicates matters, but if resolutions are found next month, it will make the search for a new striker easier.
With four strikers in the first-team squad (Lacazette, Nketiah, Aubameyang and Folarin Balogun), unclogging the pathway for whoever is next to lead the line will be essential. What is clear, however, are the attributes Arsenal need their next striker to possess. As well as needing a goalscorer, they will be looking for strikers who are equally adept at stretching defences as they are with dropping off to link play — and of course, being willing to press. Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic is exciting the fans, but will take a lot of convincing from Arsenal to come to the Emirates.
Of those mentioned in the piece on striker targets that we published last month (see the link above), Alexander Isak and Jonathan David have been of longest-standing interest. Considering Isak signed a new deal at Real Sociedad in the summer and David’s club Lille are through to the Champions League round of 16, any pursuits of that pair may have longer timescales than the next month and a bit.
Art de Roché
Get a new manager! — Champe F.
Straight to the point. A lot of comments followed this sentiment, so why not address them? Frustrations and criticisms over Arteta are justified. Although there have been gradual steps forward during his two years, they seem to have come after great effort and there is still a search for real consistency in attack.
That being said, it is unlikely he will be dismissed anytime soon. Arsenal’s hierarchy stuck with him after a dreadful November-December period last year and then backed him financially in the summer after the club failed to qualify for Europe.
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Calls for a new manager are understandable when looking at the pedigree among the league’s top sides, but Arsenal chose their path a while back.
Art de Roché
1. A centre-forward who can finish, adds an aerial threat, and can link with the exciting young attacking midfielders we have;
2. A strong left-footed centre mid/DM who can both sit in and launch attacks quickly from the back.
Those two would be my priorities for January — Shaq H.
As the centre-forward part of this is often spoken about, I’ll deal with the second point.
Central midfield is an area that will need addressing soon by Arsenal. Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny will be at the Africa Cup of Nations (should it go ahead) for up to a month to start 2022, and the latter has a contract that expires this summer, leaving Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Arteta’s first-team options — and Maitland-Niles is the subject of talks about a potential move to Roma.
It is interesting you bring up the left-footedness, Shaq. Arteta’s emphasis on this balance has been clear since he took charge (signing two left-footed centre-backs), and with his reliance on Xhaka. For these reasons, it seems logical that the next midfielder who arrives will fall into this category, almost as Xhaka’s long-term successor.
There are no names that are of solid interest, but speaking personally, I think Ismael Bennacer, who spent two years in the Arsenal academy and is now at AC Milan, would be a great fit. While he does operate deeper, he is mobile enough to move away from trouble and has the technique to hurt teams with his passing. He is my idealistic option, but that is the general profile of player I feel would help this midfield.
Art de Roché
Buy a right-back that can go forward. Takehiro Tomiyasu is great but I’d like to see him have competition in the shape of an attacking right-back. Maybe then we could see some overlapping on the right and less of this dodgy midfield slot-in business. I also think Tomiyasu would do a better job than what we currently have as back-up for left centre-back, where he plays for Japan. This would make any injury to Gabriel look less terrifying — Matthew H.
There’s no doubt that, sooner or later, Arsenal will need to add another right-back. Until recently, Tomiyasu had been an ever-present since joining the club, starting 15 consecutive league games — that speaks to his consistency, but also Arteta’s lack of faith in the alternatives. In that period, Cedric Soares made just a handful of appearances, while Calum Chambers did not make even the bench for a Premier League game between the 5-0 defeat against Manchester City on August 28 and the 4-1 win at Leeds on December 18.
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The issue is that those alternatives remain on the books.
Along with Cedric and Chambers, Hector Bellerin is still technically an Arsenal player, albeit out on loan at Real Betis.
Until more of those players depart, I don’t see Arsenal making another addition in this area. Chambers’ contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and the club have not yet activated their option to extend. Were he to leave this summer, perhaps with Bellerin making a permanent move, we might see some activity in this area.
Tomiyasu’s recent play going forward has been promising, but it could be useful to have someone who provides more of a direct attacking threat on that right flank. At left-back, Kieran Tierney and Nuno Tavares have a nice balance: Tierney prefers to go outside, while Tavares drives infield. Perhaps we’ll see that reflected on the opposite flank.
James McNicholas
I don’t think we will get a No 9 this window. We are heavily linked with Dejan Kulusevski who is the sort of player we have depth in. I think we will be disappointed with this January, unless we get a Renato Sanches — Ryan G.
It’s very difficult to predict what Arsenal will do at centre-forward.
Were Aubameyang figuring as part of the group, the extreme likelihood is that they would address the situation in the summer. If he isn’t going to be reintegrated, then perhaps plans move forward. However, this isn’t simply a case of adding a body to plug a gap: the centre-forward is a crucial piece in this rebuild, and Arsenal will only move if they have an opportunity to get the right man.
Kulusevski is someone Arsenal admire, but as a left-footed player who tends to operate from the right-hand side, there isn’t an obvious spot for him in the squad right now. Bukayo Saka obviously isn’t going anywhere, but if Nicolas Pepe were to move on, Arsenal’s requirements there could change.
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As for Renato Sanches, we can probably expect his name to be linked with a host of clubs during the January window — but Arsenal have not, as yet, approached him. If Sanches does move, it may well be in the summer. The 24-year-old is a very technically gifted midfield player, being watched by a number of big European teams. However, Lille’s financial problems have been eased by their qualification for the Champions League’s knockout phase, so they may not be under immediate pressure to sell.
James McNicholas
(Photos: Getty Images)