Arsenal: 3 cheap midfielders to target in January

3. Denis Zakaria

Denis Zakaria is a midfielder that has seems to have been linked to Arsenal every window since the dawn of time. His current contract situation, however, means that the London club should certainly attempt to get his signature this month.

The midfielder’s deal expires this at the end of the season. While Arsenal could certainly wait until the summer to secure him for free, there would undoubtedly be more competition for the impressive player. Paying a transfer fee – said to be a measly £5m – to get him now would be an intelligent move. It would obviously be more expensive than waiting, but with the risk of that happening, Borussia Monchengladbach want him to leave this window and that’s courted widespread attention.

On the field, Zakaria would revolutionize Arsenal in the center of the park. He offers a combination of physicality and technical proficiency that hasn’t been seen in north London for many a year. His strength on the ball belies his ability to tackle both strongly and elegantly, and this unique skillset will allow him to adapt quickly to the pace of the Premier League.

This list of midfielders are all relatively cheap. All of them also seem to be on the way out, ensuring that their transfers are possible and can be completed fairly quickly. With the exception of Wijnaldum, these midfielders would improve Arsenal both in the short-term as well as in the seasons ahead. Cantwell and Zakaria, meanwhile, would provide less experienced options who still have time before they hit their prime years.

What is absolutely certain is that Arsenal would be wise to bring in some solid options this window to truly push for top four spot. They can’t run the risk of having so few options.