Arsenal's January transfer targets

                                         

Arsenal's January transfer targets 

By Jonny Bray
With Arsenal chasing a spot in next year's Champions League, it's becoming increasingly clear that this January's transfer window will be crucial to the short-term future of the club. 
Tottenham look like they'll spend, so do Manchester United, and West Ham will always be on the lookout for a good deal. 
With that in mind, it could be a crucial window for the Gunners, who appear a much better side this season.
Mikel Arteta's team could still do with some improvements though, especially if they want to build on the progress from the first half of the campaign. 
But who are Arsenal's transfer targets this January?

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

We've been saying it for months, Dominic Calvert-Lewin would be a perfect fit at Arteta's Arsenal. 
Young, English, and with plenty of room to improve, the striker could go on to be one of the Premier League's best over the next decade. 
Arteta made the sort of player he's looking for abundantly clear last summer, the best of the young English talent and great deals from abroad. 
You see that in Calvert-Lewin, and you'll also see it in Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu. 
He's also an outstanding player who would offer something completely different from the options the club have right now. 
Outstanding in the air with a deceptively good touch, Calvert-Lewin is precisely what the Gunners need to progress to the next level. 
The only downside is that he has been injured for much of this season, but that could be used to Arsenal's advantage. 
Firstly, it could reduce his transfer fee, but it has also shown how crucial the striker is to Everton. 
The Toffees have struggled all season in his absence.

Alexander Isak

Last summer, Alexander Isak was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal, but it never materialised. 
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang seemingly on his way out of the club, signing either Calvert-Lewin or Isak could become a matter of urgency for the Gunners. 
The Swedish star has scored four goals in 16 La Liga appearances so far this campaign and has performed exceptionally well in Europe, scoring three goals in five Europa League appearances. 
He's got bags of talent and flair, but his price tag and lack of Premier League experience could act as a stop sign for Arteta. 
Arteta might prefer to sign Calvert-Lewin because we know he can be a match-influencing Premier League striker.
But that's not to say Isak doesn't have the potential to become that at The Emirates. 

Tariq Lamptey

Many Arsenal fans will argue that Tomiyasu has earned his place as Arsenal's first-choice right-back, and they would be right.
The Japanese international has been superb for the Gunners all season and deserves to be considered a top Premier League defender.
But if you look at Europe's top sides, all of them have options at full-back.
It's becoming an increasingly important position, and while Tomiyasu has shown he's a great defender, he still leaves a bit to be desired going forward.
If Arsenal are serious about rising to the top of English football once again, then they should sign Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey as a more attacking alternative. 
It would be a lot of money to spend on someone who would be fighting for the first choice. However, it would be a visible sign of Arsenal's direction and the ambition they want to show in 2022.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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