Arsenal had a poor end to 2023 with back-to-back Premier League defeats against London rivals West Ham United and Fulham.
They also dropped points against Aston Villa and Liverpool in December. The Gunners are now fourth in the standings with 40 points, five adrift of league leaders Liverpool.
The club are still in the title race but they need reinforcements in January in order to come close to challenging Liverpool and Manchester City for the English crown.
Let’s have a look at three likely transfer targets for the Gunners this month.
Ivan Toney – Brentford
The Gunners had a good start to the season with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard among the goals from the centre-forward position.
However, the goals have dried up for the trio over the past few games and this could trigger the need for a marquee striker with the transfer window now reopen.
Toney has been the club’s prime target for some time but won’t come on the cheap. The Bees want at least £60 million up front with £20m in the form of add-ons.
The Englishman netted 20 Premier League goals last term. There are suggestions that Nketiah could be sold to facilitate the acquisition of the 27-year-old star.
Goncalo Inacio – Sporting
The Gunners have looked fragile at the back over recent games and they have been guilty of conceding cheap goals from set-pieces with some poor man-marking.
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have been assured starters in the heart of the backline, but manager Mikel Arteta may want a new signing to increase competition.
Jurrien Timber is not expected to return from his knee surgery until March and there is no guarantee that the Dutchman would start regularly due to his long lay-off.
Inacio could be seen as a competitor to Gabriel. The Gunners are said to be exploring a loan deal for the centre-back with an obligation to buy for £52m. Jakub Kiwior could be sold.
Arthur Vermeeren – Royal Antwerp
Arsenal are known for pursuing emerging talents every year and Vermeeren would be a statement signing in January, considering his huge potential from different midfield roles.
The 18-year-old was fantastic during the Champions League group stage campaign with three goal contributions including an early goal in the shock 3-2 win over Barcelona.
He also looked assured defensively with 3.2 tackles and 6.7 recoveries per game in Europe. He had a pass completion rate of 88 per cent, winning nearly 70 per cent of his duels.
If the Gunners are looking for a quality number six or number eight, they should look into signing Vermeeren. Antwerp are prepared to sell the Belgian wonderkid for £22m.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
