Arsenal’s Transfer Deadline Day: Signings must be made

Arsenal enters the transfer deadline day the same as they have in previous years… in need of signings.

With Brighton’s Leonardo Trossard and Jakub Kiwior from Spezia the only two additions, does Mikel Arteta need to make more?

Without question.

If the 1-0 loss to Manchester City taught us anything, it was the Gunners’ overreliance on Thomas Partey at the base of midfield. But this is something we already knew, right?

The first half against City was superb from Partey as the Gunners more than held their own against Pep Guardiola’s men. The Ghanaian is so often at the centre of everything Arsenal does well.

Once Partey was withdrawn at half-time, Arsenal didn’t look the same in midfield. Again, something we already knew.

But at least Arteta is trying to rectify the situation in the form of another Brighton player, central midfielder Moisés Caicedo.

He would be an excellent get for the Gunners and strengthen a wafer thing midfield group… and Arteta knows it.

Various reports state that the Gunners are willing to fork out as much as £75m for the 21-year-old. That shows how serious Arteta is about getting his man.

But Caicedo isn’t the only player in which Arsenal are rumoured to be interested. Chelsea’s Jorginho and long-term target Youri Tielemans are considered alternative options, and both would cost significantly less.

So, what does Arteta do? In short, something. Arsenal are in a superb position to make their best run at the Premier League title in over 15 years, but such is their position, they are one injury away from disaster.

Should Partey go down with an injury, then the midfield will become far less potent. Arsenal, in a sense, got lucky with Eddie Nketiah after Gabriel Jesus went down with an injury. But in that scenario, we at least knew of Nketiah’s quality.

Can we trust Sambi Lokonga for the second half of the season? With no Mohamed Elneny for the foreseeable future, having the young Belgian as the only option after Partey and Xhaka is the stuff of nightmares.

With time running out, Arsenal and Arteta need to bring in reinforcements quickly. In a year that sees them perfectly positioned for a title charge, their margin for error for injuries within the squad is dangerously small.