Arsenal: 5 Defenders Gunners Could Target in January

Arsenal head into the January window with their plans laid out.

A creative midfielder is the absolute minimum that Arsenal need in the coming winter window, although the vast majority of the squad needs replacing for players at a level streaks ahead of what we’re currently being witness to.

The surgery will be grueling and the patching up to follow equally daunting. However, it’s one of few reasons to be excited as an Arsenal supporter, knowing that the reset button can be pressed with players brought in that the fanbase can actually rally behind.

Unless there are just more Chelsea rejects…and if they can be convinced to join.

One area that is in need of bolstering is central defence, where this bloated section is packed full of defenders either within six months of departing or nowhere near the standard Arsenal need. In a lot of cases it’s both.

Three central defenders are out of contract in the summer with both Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers having one year left on their deals at that point. This is just one area of the squad, and already the amount of movement is tremendous.

Not only in central defence, Mikel Arteta has to fall back on Kolasinac or put Ainsley Maitland-Niles in as a makeshift left-back when our number one Scotsman doesn’t play.

The case for who should stay in this team is trickier to argue than the opposing one for who should be out of the door.

With an eye on what happens beyond the summer (and possibly before that) here are some defenders Arsenal could target in January.

Ozan Kabak – Schalke 04

Ozan Kabak needs out of Schalke. Well, in fairness, the whole squad does; they last one a league fixture on 17th January. That’s a winless run of 29 Bundesliga matches.

And Arsenal fans say they’ve got it tough, eh?

It’s says a lot about a player that they can still be coveted across Europe despite being part of a defence that was won just the solitary league fixture in 2020. An aggressive centre-back, the Turk has been linked to Liverpool constantly over the past year, another testament to his apparent potential.

Only 20 years old, he has plenty of learning to do, including not spitting at people. Yeah, he’s got suspended for that back in October.

Of the right age profile and not set to cost a fortune, his lack of experience and questionable attitude is what holds him back.