Having dropped hundreds of million of pounds on some of the biggest names in Premier League football over the summer, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be looking to bolster his squad for the second half of their 23/24 campaign that he believes can end in major success.
While they finished runners-up just seven months ago following a heartbreaking dip in form late on in the season, it has been the Gunners who have stayed the most consistent out of any top four team from the end of last season to now given their natural place at the top of the league.
But despite the improvements over last season, they’re still not the complete article. There are places in the squad they can improve upon and there will be incomings over the next few weeks. Who and where they are will depend on a multitude of factors but here are two players who could be a huge boost to the Gunners’ title hopes.
Matthijs de Ligt
If there’s an area of his side that Arteta will want to improve upon come the January transfer window, it’ll be his defensive ranks. The Spaniard has often perilously skirted the line with his defenders amid a slew of injuries that include the opening weekend knee injury that summer signing Jurrien Timber suffered on his debut.
With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes commanding the centre of his usual back four, it’d be surprising to see Arteta attempt to bring in a new centre-back, who would no doubt ruffle some feathers, but he’s clearly not been put off it before given the introduction of David Raya that upset the status quo.
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However, they are still markedly short when it comes to squad depth in that area of the pitch and bringing in another world-class star in the defensive department would certainly be a major boost to their title aspirations – and Bayern Munich defender De Ligt is certainly a candidate on their radar.
football.london says: Defensive mistakes have rarely occurred in the years since Arteta took over at Arsenal – especially over the last 18 months. If anything, it’d be a full-back that’s the likeliest arrival over January given the impressive performances both Gabriel and Saliba have managed to put in week-in, week-out alongside one another.
However, if the opportunity to get De Ligt in is there, the Gunners would be silly not to at least entertain the thought. Of course, it’s all well and good dreaming about bringing in world-class players every window, but when your rivals like Manchester City are making additions to their own backline in the form of Josko Gvardiol, it’s clear Arsenal need to show the same spending power.
He still has another two years on his contract meaning they’d be forced to spend some serious funds in order to make a deal possible, but it’s unlikely they’ll have much cash to splash with given how heavy they went in the summer transfer market, bringing in the likes of Kai Havertz and Declan Rice. There is another option they have, though, who they could turn to.
Jorrel Hato
At just 17-years-old, Hato has seen his stock rise steadily over the first few months of Ajax’s Eredivisie campaign. While the Dutch giants suffered a miserable beginning to the season under Maurice Steijn, the introduction of John van’t Schip has seen them stay unbeaten since the start of November and a marked increase in performance from Hato.
Having played every minute of Ajax’s 25 matches in all competitions this season, as well as taking his first cap for the Dutch national senior team back in late November, it’s no wonder this young star is on a shortlist of potential signings for the Gunners.
football.london says: Adding Ajax’s youngest ever captain to your Premier League title-chasing squad in the middle of the season? Doesn’t sound too bad to me.
He’s got everything – but he might cost it all as well. Despite admitting that he wants to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Jurrien Timber and join the Gunners’ one day’, he also claims he knows he still has a long way to go before that happens. But, for a player that has incredible ball progressing ability, can play at both centre-back and left-back and is dominant in the air, perhaps it’s worth chucking the kitchen sink at a potential deal.
There will be players to offload over the winter, allowing for much-needed funds if Arsenal were to go after him. With 18 months left on his contract, being the first team to get negotiations underway early could play into their hands also if they end up trying to land him in a future window.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
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