Arsenal may need to sell before they can buy in January
Arsenal's hopes of strengthening in January could hinge on who leaves Emirates Stadium rather than who arrives, with the club reportedly needing outgoings before any forward addition can be made.
According to football.london, Arsenal's summer transfer business left Mikel Arteta without the attacking reinforcement he wanted, after failed pursuits of Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Junior and Julian Alvarez. The sales of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, along with the loan exit of Ethan Nwaneri, were only partially offset by the signing of Christos Tzolis, leaving the squad arguably weaker in attacking areas despite the turnover.
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Arsenal have been defensively resolute, keeping seven clean sheets in their first ten games, but around half of those matches have been won by a single goal across all competitions. That has fuelled growing expectation among supporters that at least one forward will arrive in the winter window.
Forward targets come with obstacles
Names currently of interest to Arsenal include Eli Junior Kroupi, Kevin Schade and Antonio Nusa, per football.london's report. Interest in Alvarez reportedly remains alive too, though his preference to stay in Spain and Atletico Madrid's asking price make a deal exceptionally difficult.
Kroupi represents a similarly tough pursuit, with Bournemouth maintaining a firm 'not for sale' stance and Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona also keen. Schade would reportedly carry a hefty price tag too, with Brentford having commanded big fees for Bryan Mbeumo and Yanne Wissa in recent transfer windows.
A bloated squad in need of trimming
Arsenal's financial position has improved following around £90million banked from the Jesus, Martinelli and Trossard sales, with their wages also removed from the club's outgoings. The report states the club wants to operate self-sufficiently within the Premier League's squad cost ratio rules and UEFA's financial fair play regulations.
Even so, the numbers tell their own story. Arsenal currently have three senior goalkeepers, eight senior defenders plus Marli Salmon, seven senior midfielders plus Max Dowman and five senior forwards, a total of 25 senior players, not including Nwaneri on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Several names are reportedly attracting external interest. Martin Zubimendi has had limited minutes this season and is drawing outside attention, though football.london understands he retains plenty of credit internally and an exit is not considered a certainty. Mikel Merino is also reportedly of interest elsewhere, with just one year left on his contract from next summer.
football.london also reported exclusively that Manchester United and Chelsea had made approaches about Myles Lewis-Skelly, though the player wants to stay and has no intention of leaving.
Eberechi Eze has struggled to nail down a regular spot under Arteta, with Tzolis quickly reclaiming the left wing role once fit. Viktor Gyokeres has also found himself behind Kai Havertz in the pecking order, with the German continuing to start regularly in the Premier League even after returning from injury following the last international break. Noni Madueke, by contrast, has seen his stock rise significantly in Bukayo Saka's absence, becoming increasingly influential in Arsenal's recent form.
Arteta is understood to welcome further additions of quality this winter, but as the report makes clear, any incoming business may well be tied to departures first.
