It’s fair to say that the Christmas period has been far from merry for the Arsenal faithful.
Not only did they drop points against an average Brighton side, but they were outclassed and thoroughly embarrassed by Liverpool. Even the 4-1 victory against Fulham could easily have resulted in defeat had Ryan Sessegnon been more clinical in front of goal.
The first issue to address is whether or not Arsenal need to add to the squad in the January transfer window.
Emery has commented previously that the January market is not an ideal time to buy players, but having conceded 31 goals so far this season, and with the defence ravaged by injuries he may be forced to explore his options.
The centre-back area is clearly a priority, but cover in the full-back positions will also be on the agenda with Nacho Monreal and Stephan Lichtsteiner both the wrong side of 30.
Supporters yearning for new signings will have only been compounded by the acquisition of Christian Pulisic at top-four rivals Chelsea.
What funds are available to Arsenal in January are unclear. It may be a case of having to sell before they can buy, but Arsenal are not blessed with a plethora of assets they’d be willing to part with.
Mesut Ozil would certainly free up some wages if a suitor could be found, though his agent has said publicly his client will be staying put.
Aaron Ramsey could more realistically generate some funds if he can be persuaded to depart this month, rather than leaving for nothing in the summer.
Out-of-favour midfielder Mohammed Elneny has also been linked with a move away from the club having only featured in the Premier League once this season.
A source of great optimism this season has been the number of academy players breaking into the first-team squad.
Players such as Emile Smith Rowe, Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka have all performed well in their various cameos, but game time has still been fairly limited.
January presents the opportunity for these players to go on loan in search of first-team minutes, something they will likely find harder to come by as the Europa League knockout stages kick off.
How Emery approaches the FA Cup may determine whether he is willing to allow the youngsters to make a temporary switch. Arsenal are already the most successful club in the competition’s history, but adding to their tally does little in terms of returning them to the top echelon of club football.
Emery may elect to use his fringe players so that his regular starters remain fresh for the increasingly significant Europa League campaign.
Comments.
Loading comments…