Arsenal could wait until January to upgrade their left flank as more options become available to Mikel Arteta
Rodrygo could return to fitness this winter with Arsenal having known interest in the player
Rodrygo could return to fitness this winter with Arsenal having known interest in the player(Image: Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
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There is always a persistent sense of urgency in the transfer window. Desperation to see deals happen is dialled up to eleven, and fans are stuck refreshing their social feeds in the hope of news that their club might be signing someone.
For Arsenal, this has not been the transfer window that most hoped for or expected. Just two new outfield additions have been made from the side that won the title, and the position which seemed the most obviously in need of a major upgrade, left-wing, is yet to see such treatment.
Unless, of course, Christos Tzolis, who has been very encouraging, becomes such a player. But Tzolis was always the plan with Leandro Trossard leaving, and was separate from any other interest in other top targets who could play off the wing.
However, interest in Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior has come and gone. Alternatives of requisite quality, such as Bradley Barcola or Kenan Yildiz, who also have their own drawbacks, look unattainable, while going down the rungs of quality to consider others leaves the problem unsolved in the long term.
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Sometimes it is better to stick and twist later than commit to a player that ultimately is just not needed. Signing players for the sake of signing players is not something Mikel Arteta is a fan of and has gone on the record several times to say as much.
Therefore, it begs the question if it might be smarter for Arsenal to wait. Two players currently out injured have been of interest to the club in the past and will have returned by the time the winter window opens.
football.london reported earlier in the window that Eli Junior Kroupi was a player the club were keeping tabs on. However, Bournemouth’s valuation of the player is exceedingly high despite there being some openness to interest from Arsenal on the player’s side.
However, a foot injury has left the Frenchman on the treatment table and will do so for as many as three more months, potentially. He is therefore expected to return sometime in November.
The other is Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who injured his knee in March and has been reportedly given a 10-12 month return timeline. The earlier end of the schedule would see him come back in the winter and could therefore get back to action before the window closes.
Either Kroupi or Rodrygo could add serious quality to Arsenal’s front line. But the club’s record for making moves in January is far from plentiful.