Arsenal aren't expected to splash the cash in the January transfer window, but there is still plenty of life in the rumour mill.
The
Gunners have been heavily linked with lots of marquee names this month
including the likes of Karim Benzema, Ivan Toney and Amadou Onana.
But if Mikel Arteta wants some new faces around the Emirates
Stadium then he may need to offload some players first to balance the
books.
So, with that being said, football.london have taken a look
at a handful of the biggest Arsenal transfer stories on Friday, January
19
Onana warning
Arsenal have been told three reasons not to sign Amadou Onana
this month. The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates
Stadium recently as Arteta hopes to further bolster his midfield during the
January transfer window.
Speaking to bettingexpert.com, former Arsenal and Manchester
United defender Mikael Silvestre said: "He’s (Onana) improved a lot. I’m
not sure he’s at the level to improve the current squad. If you’re chasing the
Premier League title with City and with Liverpool, I don’t think he’s fully
ready to improve the midfield.
"He still has some work to do. Number one would be
concentration. Sometimes he loses the ball too easily and his decision making
is not 100% there yet. It’s a bit too early for him to be a contender in midfield
for Arsenal."
Arsenal face FFP roadblock to Benzema deal
If Arsenal did indeed win the league or the UEFA Champions
League, a Benzema loan move would effectively pay for itself in some regard and
the risk mitigated.
However, with Mikel Arteta’s side five points off the top of
the table and the Spaniard’s European record perhaps not inspiring confidence
in ousting FC Porto before potential challenges like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid
and Manchester City come along that risk would be significant.
Benzema’s current wage packet at Al Ittihad stands at
€100million (£85.84million) per season according to Marca. Therefore, if
Arsenal were to sign the Frenchman on loan today on the same terms through
until June 30 – the date at which loan spells are due to end – it would cost
the club approximately £38.9million if they took on the full pay package.
This does not take into account any potential loan fee Al
Ittihad would ask for, nor the €20million bonus that Benzema reportedly
received to become an ambassador for the 2030 World Cup. Many might say this is
a price worth paying to improve the club’s chances of winning a title.
Havertz slammed
Speaking to Gambling Zone, William Gallas slammed Arsenal's
decision to sign Kai Havertz in the summer. The former Gunners defender said:
"Arsenal need a striker but they needed one starting from the beginning of
the season and a striker with a different profile.
"Gabriel Jesus is very strong and can run and dribble in
tight spaces and stretch defences and provide opportunities for wingers to cut
inside. Sometimes you need a striker who is stronger and taller and can change
the way the team plays, playing more direct with long balls. That’s the type of
player Arsenal has to look for.
"We are in January and maybe they’re realising they need
another striker. That’s why they should have signed a striker at the start of
the season. They had the opportunity to buy a striker but they bought Kai
Havertz. I still believe they made a mistake. How many goals is Havertz going
to score? Not many."
Source: Arsenal - Football.London
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