Recent years have seen the Gunners recruit well in the winter, but their summer spending could restrict much-needed activity this time around
As the old adage goes: 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. However, Arsenal's strong start to the season might be masking a need to bolster in the January transfer window.
Thanks to the long-term injury of Jurrien Timber and the upcoming absence of Takehiro Tomiyasu due to the Asian Cup, the Gunners are likely to soon be short of numbers in the full-back positions. Elsewhere, the continued fitness problems of Thomas Partey suggest a need to improve their depth in midfield.
And then there's the forward line. There are few doubts over Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, but Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah's lack of goals has been highlighted as a concern – even if the Brazilian does offer a hell of a lot more than just finishing chances.
Unlike many other clubs, Arsenal boast a decent record in the January transfer window over the past few years. Last season they acquired Leandro Trossard, who provided a much-needed spark in the attacking line, as well as Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior, who have both been fairly reliable when called upon by the Gunners.
And back in 2021 they made one of the most significant signings in their recent history, bringing now-captain Martin Odegaard in from Real Madrid on an initial loan deal.
With another serious Premier League title challenge being mounted in north London, Mikel Arteta will be hoping that his signings this month can be similarly influential during the run-in.
Getty ImagesIvan Toney (Brentford)
Toney is set for a very busy month. Not only is the Brentford striker's betting suspension up on January 17, he is also likely to become one of the main protagonists of the transfer rumour mill.
Arsenal and Chelsea's interest in the one-cap England international has been known for some time, with Bees boss Thomas Frank openly admitting that his star man could depart the club this winter. It's not hard to see why top sides are interested in Toney.
Last season, he was deadly in front of goal, with only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane netting more times in the Premier League. His link-up play and creativity is vastly underrated too, leading to Brentford slapping an unholy price tag on his head.
Reports have varied, with the least conservative estimates claiming that the west Londoners want as much as £100 million ($128m) for the centre-forward. That might be enough to put Arsenal off, but by spending a similar amount on Declan Rice in the summer they showed that they are not afraid to invest significantly on a single player if they're deemed to be the very best option out there.
Some creative accounting would be required – perhaps an initial loan with an option to buy, as Arsenal agreed with Brentford for the signing of David Raya – but it's hard to argue that Toney would not be a significant upgrade on what Arteta currently has up front. It might even be the addition that gets his side over the line in the title race.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMarcos Leonardo (Santos)
Toney would very much be the 'win-now' option up top. If Arsenal want to exercise a little more patience, Leonardo is an obvious choice. Cristiano Ronaldo is the Santos sensation's footballing idol, something he revealed in an interview with GOAL back in 2022.
2023 was a difficult year for the striker, with the club who have recently produced the likes of Neymar, Rodrygo and Gabigol suffering the first relegation in their history. That would have hurt the Brazilian greatly, but Santos' loss could become Arsenal's gain.
His agent has already confirmed he will be leaving in January, saying: "Already in the previous transfer market he had the possibility of being sold, but Santos’ sporting situation was very particular. He agreed to stay because he wanted to help out until the end of the championship. He didn’t want to leave because it wasn’t the right thing to do. But the time has come to move. He wants to have a European experience and his time will come this winter."
And although there is interest from the likes of Real Madrid as well, Arsenal's strong Brazilian core makes north London an alluring option for the exciting 20 year old. Signing him and then loaning him out to get first-team experience elsewhere, with a view to him replacing Nketiah next season, might be the way forward.
Getty ImagesGoncalo Inacio (Sporting CP)
After a brief flirtation with Ben White at the beginning of the campaign, Arteta has scarcely strayed away from his tried-and-tested centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel this season. The duo complement each other perfectly, but as Saliba's untimely absence proved towards the back end of 2022-23, an injury could be massively unsettling as the defenders Arsenal have in reserve aren't quite at the same level.
Signing Inacio might be a solution to this potential banana skin. The Portuguese has been a mainstay of the Sporting CP side for some times and still has plenty of scope to improve considering he's only 22.
Inacio is scarcely flustered on the ball and loves to stride out from the back, while his lack of height is more than made up for by his exemplary reading of the game. The only issue is how much he'd cost. Reports suggest Sporting are unwilling to let him leave for anything less than his €60m (£52m/$67m) release clause, which might be too much for Arsenal to sanction in January.
Getty ImagesOusmane Diomande (Sporting CP)
Inacio is not the only Sporting defender the Gunners have been linked with. His centre-back partner Diomande is also attracting interest from a host of top sides, including Arsenal. Receiving a portion of his footballing education at renowned talent factory Midtjylland, the Ivorian is similar to Inacio in some ways.
Both are typically-modern defenders with impressive passing ranges and the ability to play around oncoming attackers, but Diomande is significantly taller that his club counterpart.
That, combined with the fact that he is several years younger, means he is valued slightly higher, with £69m ($88m) said to be Sporting's asking price. That's not cheap, but Arsenal could feasibly be investing in a starting centre-back for the next decade if he can continue improving at the current rate. Unfortunately, if they do pull the trigger, Diomande is likely to be unavailable in January as he's just broken into the Ivory Coast squad ahead of AFCON.