Arsenal: 7 rumoured transfer targets in January window

In case anyone wasn’t aware, the January transfer window is open for business. It’s actually nearly a third of the way through and, as of yet, Arsenal have not brought anyone in.

They weren’t actually expected to. Not really. It was set to be a window of mainly outgoings with the fringe members of the squad set to leave either on loan or permanently.

Things change quickly.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s ill-discipline and subsequent loss of the captain’s armband has thrown a continent-sized spanner in the works, with the quest to sign a striker in the summer fast-tracked to the winter.

Arsenal: 7 rumoured transfer targets in January window as Mikel Arteta eyes reinforcements in both midfield and at striker

Midfield was also set to be thin with AFCON taking place, so the decision to loan Ainsley Maitland-Niles out further depleted the ranks to prompt another scramble towards the finish line. Arsenal need a striker, and a midfielder.

Money appears not to be a great issue, with the ownership willing to back Mikel Arteta in the transfer market and all signs lean towards that continuing into coming windows to the point where this rebuild can just be regularly topped up with a signing or two at a time.

What is an unavoidable hurdle is the circumstances surrounding January. For a club like Arsenal, generally they are targeting players near the top end of their respective league tables, which tends to result in the clubs showing less willingness to sanction moves mid-season. Either they hold fast or they charge a premium. Often times, it’s both.

But Arsenal are in the market and chasing targets this season. The papers and the rumour mill has told us as much, with seven players currently doing the rounds this window.

1. Danilo – Palmeiras

One of the more recent murmurs comes out of Brazil where it was reported that Arsenal had lodged a bid of around £22m (with add ons) for midfielder Danilo.

The 20-year-old is a deep-lying midfielder who enjoys being in possession as much as he likes breaking opponent attacks up, always seeking to progress the ball in both ways. Boasting a high technical level and close control, he is as capable of dribbling through a press and carrying as he is building the play through distribution.

It’s obviously an area of the pitch where Arsenal are desperately short, and if he’s a player they’ve been monitoring for a while it might be a case of speeding up a summer move to the winter window.

Very quick across the turf and physically able to perform a box-to-box role and adapt to the Premier League, from a profile perspective he suits. However, there has only been one mention of a bid being lodged – which seems extremely premature – and Arsenal need someone ready to hit the ground running in the middle of the park.

One to watch out for.

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