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.

Perr Schuurs – Ajax

Handed the unenviable task of being Matthijs de Ligt’s successor, fellow Dutchman Perr Schuurs has made the jump up into Ajax’s first team effortlessly after dabbled in the senior setup last season.

This term he’s become a regular fixture, forging part of a rock solid defence that has conceded just nine goals in 13 Eredivisie matches. The 21-year-old centre-back has also had his first taste of Champions League football, although Ajax crashed out of the group stages this season.

That last point could work in any interested party’s favour, although his £27m asking price could fend off interest from afar.

A defender who likes to build attacking moves through him, his competence on the ball is a valuable asset, as is his tall frame – he stands at six foot three inches.

Arsenal lack aerial presence in both boxes, barring Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Dutchman’s height one of many alluring qualities.

Robin Gosens – Atalanta

When Leicester sealed a deal to sign Timothy Castagne from Atalanta in the summer, plenty felt they signed the wrong full-back.

On the opposite flank sits Robin Gosens, the German defender with a penchant for scoring. He’s notched 12 Serie A goals in his last 43 outings, much of that due to the swash-buckling nature of the Italian side’s style of play.

Much of the time the 26-year-old plays as an auxiliary winger, with his versatility down the flank meaning he can slot into a left wing-back role and play as a more regular left-back.

One element working against him is his age, as Arsenal need to be targeting players who will have resale ability. But, with only one year left on his deal with the summer comes around, it wouldn’t require a substantial outlay to secure his services.

Atalanta have not been at their usual free-flowing best this season despite Gosens continuing to impress, and they could be tempted with a January bid.

Jerome Boateng – Bayern Munich

This is one Arteta will surely be keeping tabs on, but would go against the apparent long-term strategy the club are looking to employ.

They say lightening doesn’t strike twice, but anyone favouring this move will highlight the drastic improvements that Chelsea have made since bringing in fellow ageing, but hugely experienced, Thiago Silva on a one-year deal.

Jerome Boateng is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season when his contract expires – one he will likely see out – but the rumours have persisted that there could be movement made as soon as January.

It’s highly unlikely given how regularly he’s featured for Die Roten this season, although it’s a situation that Arsenal may be interested in.

Far from perfect, Boateng is guilty of a few errors and his previous spell in England didn’t go as planned. One to keep an eye on, although age and wages don’t make him too appealing.

Max Aarons – Norwich

All the talk centres around a different player Arsenal are interested in at Carrow Road, yet one of the surprises of the previous summer window was that Max Aarons remained a Canary at the end of it.

No less than Barcelona and Bayern Munich were snooping around for his services, a remarkable turn of events considering how desperately poor Norwich were in the doomed Premier League venture.

Looking at potential, if used properly, Aarons could be an asset to any side. A right-back as adept at one-on-one defending as he is taking his man on, his attacking influence shines in a Norwich side who constantly play on the front foot.

Daniel Farke’s side know they’ll have another frenzy on their hands in January will clubs across Europe vying for the 20-year-old’s signature, a stance which allows them to drive a hard bargain.

He won’t be cheap, but with Hector Bellerin‘s form dropping and the Spaniard one of few players who could fetch a fee, Arsenal may sniff an opportunity. Would be a tough one to seal in January, however, and it’s not the top priority for Arsenal at this minute.