Arsenal were among the most active clubs in the Premier League in January, with a focus on relieving players.
Sokratis, Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Matt Macey have finally left. Sead Kolasinac is on loan at Schalke for the remainder of the season and his contract with the Gunners expires this summer.
A fifth departure, William Saliba, is spending the remainder of the campaign with France’s Nice team after not being given any chances in the first half of the campaign.
In terms of revenue, Arsenal have signed young defender Omar Rekik from Hertha Berlin, loaned Mat Ryan from Brighton and signed Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid until the summer.
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Mikel Arteta was unable to sign a new left-back beyond Kieran Tierney following Kolasinac’s exit, but he has cut his roster by at least the number necessary to add Ryan and Odegaard to the roster.
However, Arsenal’s work did not stop after the window was slammed. The crucial work should continue into spring and towards summer. Arteta and Edu continue to rebuild the inherited page.
Here we have looked at the main tasks that Edu has on his plate in terms of transfer activity beyond the end of the mid-season window.
Emiliano Buendia
Arsenal’s hunt for a creative midfielder isn’t over with the signing of the loan by Martin Odegaard as Real Madrid want him to return at the end of the season.
Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia, a player spotted by Mikel Arteta and Edu in January, is likely to be the main target after championship chasers ruled out a mid-season market move.
As Football.London Arsenal have reportedly not made an official offer to the Argentine playmaker, but rather have a close relationship with representatives of South America.
It has now been reported that Buendia’s entourage will have talks with Arsenal in the coming weeks ahead of a scheduled transfer this summer.
Folarin Balogun
It looks like Folarin Balogun will be leaving Arsenal at the end of the season when his contract expires and he has been able to discuss a pre-contractual agreement with a club outside of England since the turn of the year.
Mikel Arteta has made it clear repeatedly that he wants to keep the young striker and recently reiterated his stance by saying: “I think he has taken some big steps in the last few months that he didn’t even train and then had he’s some good games for us. So the steps are there and we want to try to keep him. “
For Balogun, who regularly occupied the squad on matchday without going on the field, there were no chances for the first team. The talks about an extension will continue to try to overcome the current impasse.
Expiring contracts
Arsenal made significant strides in cutting their wage bills during the January transfer window. The departures of Mesut Ozil, Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac are providing more than £ 500,000 per week – although that does not include any withdrawal agreements.
A similar situation could arise in the summer when David Luiz ends his contract and last year hands Luiz an extension after the lockdown to raise his eyebrows. However, he is a valued member of the squad and could be renewed again at short notice.
Additionally, Alexandre Lacazette, Calum Chambers, Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny will step into the final 12 months of their businesses and decisions will have to be made through the quartet.
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Center-back options
The above decisions regarding Luiz and Chambers’ contracts are of great importance to Arsenal’s defense options, which have already become easier after Sokratis and Mustafi left. However, deeper decisions need to be made.
William Saliba, who is on loan at Nice for the remainder of the season, is eagerly anticipating his previously unavailable opportunities at Arsenal, and questions have been asked as to whether the Frenchman is not incorporated into Arteta’s first-team plans.
Gabriel Magalhaes and Rob Holding have shone this season and may be Arteta’s top pick, while Pablo Mari offers another option – but this is where Arsenal’s more experienced choices conclude.
Omar Rekik, who was signed by Hertha Berlin in January, is another long-term prospect for the Gunners. A new center may be on the shopping list for the summer.
