The midway mark: What to make of Arsenal's January dealings so far

The midway mark: how good has Arsenal's January transfer window been so far as Mikel Arteta looks to bring in new faces to improve the Gunners' Premier League season?

By Adam Le Roux

The month of January never goes by in the football world without plenty of drama, with comings and goings all over the shop, and non-stop rumours circulating about the latest player to be linked with a big move. 

And in that respect, Arsenal are no exception, with plenty of hearsay about ins ands outs at the Emirates throughout the month, as Mikel Arteta looks to revitalise a squad that started the season so badly. 

At one stage, the Gunners looked like they needed a complete overhaul,, and while victories over Chelsea, Brighton and West Brom after Christmas have changed the mood around the team somewhat, the need for a new arrival or two is still clear for all to see. 

And as we reach the halfway mark of the January transfer window, we take a look at the done deals, the doubtful ones, and the definitely nots, and assess what else is needed before the month comes to a close. 

Departure lounge: Sayonara Sead and Saliba

In terms of getting rid of the deadwood in the ranks, Arteta got the month off to a great start, with Sead Kolasinac returning to former club Schalke the second that Big Ben struck midnight to mark the start of 2021. 

It may only be a loan deal at the moment for the Bosnian, but in terms of saving some of the wage bill afforded to Arteta, it was definitely the right decision, with the defender barely getting a sniff of first-team action during the current campaign. 

William Saliba soon followed him out the door with a similar temporary move to Ligue 1, where he will be plying his trade for Nice until the season comes to a close. 

We all know that the teenager has bags of potential but is still raw and untested at Premier League level, so a move to the French Riviera is another deal that pleases all parties, as he continues to gain experience and add maturity to his game. 

Another man to leave the club this month was goalkeeper Matt Macey, with the shot-stopper making the move to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. 

After a series of loans into the EFL, where he experienced first-team football at Accrington, Luton and Plymouth Argyle, the 26-year-old has finally been deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates, having made just two first-team appearances for the club back in 2017. 

Although the overhaul has begun in part, there are still big question marks over the futures of Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi at the club, with matters needing to be resolved sooner rather than later. 

The German midfielder has been an outcast since the summer, and with rumours of a move to Fenerbahce in the pipeline, the former Real Madrid man can’t get out of London quickly enough. 

With Arteta not including him in any of his squads, there looks to be no future for the 31-year-old at the club, so the sooner he is out the way the sooner the search for a replacement can begin. 

The same goes for Guendouzi, with the Frenchman seemingly happy on loan at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga and looking to stay in the German capital until at least the end of the season. 

With rumours of discontent between the midfielder and his boss, a permanent move away from the club looks more and more likely to be the only solution for all involved. 

Incomings: Will anyone join Rekik in arriving?

There may have been a number of players being shown the door at the Emirates in the early part of the month, but there has been very little action in terms of players coming in through the entrance. 

The only arrival to date has seen teenage defender Omar Rekik make the move from Hertha Berlin, with the 19-year-old still yet to even feature in a first-team match. 

After so much was built up around this being the month that Arteta would finally get to turn around the Gunners' fortunes, and add extra players to instil his philosophy into the club, so far it has been a bit of a damp squib. 

There has been a dearth of activity compared to the talk that has been generated about the need for an attacking midfielder to join the club, with rumours still circulating about a number of Europe’s most potent playmakers. 

Houssem Aouar is a name that never seems to leave Arsenal’s wanted list at the moment, with Lyon’s creative genius continuing to catch the eye in Ligue 1, while Emi Buendia is another name touted, after the Argentinian’s dazzling displays for Norwich in the Championship. 

RB Leipzig's Marcel Sabitzer is another No.10 that has done his time on the rumour mill, but at the moment that is all they are: rumours. 

Verdict: Purchase a playmaker and dispose of the deadwood

The lack of urgency to bring in that extra bit of something to spice up the attack could really hit Arsenal hard later in the season, with goals sure to be lacking if something isn’t changed this month. 

Results may have picked up since Christmas, but the same problems will still remain if an added bit of impetus isn’t injected into the Gunners’ frontline soon. 

As good as Emile Smith-Rowe has been playing, the young talent needs another face in the dressing room to learn from, with Aouar the perfect man to teach the former Huddersfield loanee a thing or two. 

Ozil, Guendouzi… they can both book their tickets out of here, with their presence in the squad seeming to do more to hinder than help at the moment, and this is a time for unity and togetherness. 

With Granit Xhaka rolling back the clock to put in some impressive performances of late, and Thomas Partey’s return to the first team, the centre of midfield looks to be getting back to full strength. 

No new additions look to be needed in that department, unless Arteta wants to recall Lucas Torreira back from his loan spell at Atletico Madrid, with the Uruguayan’s tenacity something that Arsenal can miss in the engine room from time to time. 

Halfway through the month and we are still yearning for more action at the Emirates, but with a couple of departures and a sprinkling of flair added to the side, the Arteta revolution could really be beginning to take flight. 

Photo Credit: Getty Images