Arsenal’s transfer window over the summer was a mixed bag of emotions. After a Premier League-winning season, the Premier League winners were required to make some big moves after the departures of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus. On that note, the club managed to strengthen the midfield by landing Bruno Guimaraes. However, the Emirates couldn’t find a formidable offensive option to lead the attack for the Gunners.
Despite these shortcomings, the Gunners have made a stellar start to the season, winning 4 of their 5 Premier League games. But with the winter transfer window approaching in a few months, Arsenal has yet again made headlines in the transfer market.
Premier League champions’ love affair with Julian Alvarez continues
Arsenal’s obsession with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez made a gripping headline during the summer transfer window. While the Argentine was largely keen to join his dream club, FC Barcelona, Arsenal was also a major contender and reportedly offered a $100M+ deal.
However, neither of these deals went through, and Alvarez had to stay at Atletico. Now, reports from TeamTalk journalist Graeme Bailey suggest that Arsenal is considering making another effort to acquire Alvarez in January. On paper, the deal isn’t too difficult to facilitate, as Atletico had shown interest in the summer window to ship Alvarez to the Emirates.
If the deal eventually materialises, it will be a massive boost for Arteta and co. Although Alvarez hasn’t played many games for Atletico courtesy of injuries, the prowess he brings to the table is second to none. Furthermore, with prior experience in the Premier League with Manchester City, and immaculate goal-scoring ability and link-up play, Alvarez will be a perfect option for Arteta in the attacking front.
Alvarez’s performance this season: Games played- 4, Minutes played- 173, Goals- 0, Assists- 1.
Mikel Arteta sets his sights on young, underrated talents
Julian Alvarez wasn’t the only high-profile player that Arsenal failed to add to their squad. Vinicius Jr. was another name that the North London club ran after to boost their wings and dominate with Bukayo Saka in a 4-2-3-1 play. However, Vinicius eventually signed a new deal with Real Madrid, leaving Arsenal empty-handed.
To reinforce and strengthen the left wing, Arsenal is now exploring a move for 23-year-old Villarreal winger Alberto Moleiro, as per journalist Ekrem Konur. Boasting a market value of 50M-60M Euros, Moleiro has been in red-hot form this season, scoring 2 goals and dishing out 3 assists.
Nevertheless, with the dynamism Moleiro brings to the table, Arsenal won’t be the only contender in the market for the player. As per reports, FC Barcelona’s sporting director Deco and clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool also rate the player highly.
Furthermore, Arsenal has also shown interest in 18-year-old Mexican prodigy Gilberto Mora. Mora, an attacking midfielder for club Tijuana, has scored 5 goals and recorded an assist in Liga MX.
As per reporter David Schill, the Gunners have submitted a proposal for the Mexican to acquire him in January. Mora has a 28M USD release clause, which the North London club can trigger, but they will also face strong competition from clubs like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Mikel Merino on his way to find a new home in January?
Besides the possible arrivals, Arsenal can also be on the verge of losing an experienced campaigner in Mikel Merino in the winter transfer window. According to Transfer News Live on X, Real Madrid is keeping an eye on Merino ahead of the winter transfer window. Although there hasn’t been any official dialogue between the two clubs, reports say that the Spanish club rates Merino quite highly.
Merino’s departure, however, won’t be disastrous for Arsenal. With a plethora of midfielders already in the club and Bruno Guimaraes and Declan Rice largely taking charge in that position, Merino’s role in the squad was limited to a backup player.
So far in the season, the Spanish midfielder has played just 236 minutes in 7 games, scoring just one goal, as per Transfermarkt.
However, for now, we have to wait till January to see if any of these rumours actually materialise as Arsenal approaches crucial Champions League games in the upcoming few weeks.
