Given the limited resources Arsenal had for this January transfer window, the club did not do too bad in the grand scheme of things.
Fans were calling out for the likes of Dayot Upamecano and Bruno Guimares but it was always unrealistic for the North London side.
Mikel Arteta did end up enforcing his defensive lineup with the additions of Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares. Both of them were low investments which could have high payoffs. Mari fills the exact role that Arsenal have been looking at for quite some time – left-footed centre-back who is physically dominant and has the ability to play out from the back.
Cedric will give Hector Bellerin some much needed cover at right-back and even offer the Spaniard some strong competition. Ever since his emergence from the youth academy, there hasn’t been anyone good enough to lay claim to the starting spot. This in turn, has stalled Bellerin’s development. The 24-year-old will do even better if he has to start fighting for his spot in the first team.
Arsenal also decided to keep Eddie Nketiah back after recalling him from Leeds United. He scored his first goal in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Bournemouth, showcasing just what he could offer as a backup.
However, the story might be the Gunners’ exit numbers. Dinos Mavropanos got moved out to Nurenberg in the Bundesliga 2. He needs more playing time to prove his worth to Arsenal or risks being let go altogether. James Olayinka’s Northampton Town loan deal already seems to be working as he earned a MOTM award on his debut.
Tyreece-John Jules scored on his debut as well for Lincoln City, helping them to a 1-0 win over Blackpool. Huddersfield Town snatched up Emile Smith-Rowe, who’s ceiling is very high at Arsenal. Finally, Dejan Lliev got sent off to Jagiellonia since he has no chance of appearing for the Gunners senior side.
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