Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino suffered an ankle injury which is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season.
The Gunners didn’t sign anyone during the January transfer window, which may be seen as a slight mistake, considering that Mikel Merino suffered an ankle injury in Arsenal’s last game against Leeds United over the weekend.
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Merino is expected to be out until May, and he could miss the remainder of the season because of having to undergo surgery on his ankle.
The Gunners could decide to look towards the free agent market to replace Merino for the remainder of the season. There are several experienced former Premier League options available.
Arsenal could sign three ex-PL stars
Usually after the January transfer window, there are always several big name players who become free agents, either after failed transfers, contracts expiring, or terminated deals.
Arsenal could decide to replace Merino with a free agent midfielder who isn’t currently at a club, there are three standout names, a former Man United star, former Liverpool star and former Real Madrid star.
Jesse Lingard
Firstly, former Man United and West Ham midfielder Jesse Lingard is currently a free agent after he left South Korean club FC Seoul at the start of the new year.
The 33-year-old has seen somewhat of a collapse since leaving Manchester United for West Ham in 2021, with a spell at Nottingham Forest succeeding his four-month period in London with the Hammers.
He can play as an attacking midfielder, which would help to replace Merino for the remainder of the season well. But, it would be a risk, as he hasn’t played in the Premier League since 2023.
James Rodriguez
Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez is also a free agent. He is perhaps the most intriguing option for Arsenal, as Rodriguez has extensive experience in winning big trophies, and wants some more minutes ahead of the World Cup in summer.
After spending six years at Real Madrid between 2014 and 2020, he made a free transfer to join Premier League side Everton, where he scored six goals and provided nine assists in 26 games over a one-year spell. He most recently played for Mexican side Leon, after spells with Rayo Vallecano, Sao Paolo, and Olympiacos.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Arsenal are reportedly considering signing their former midfielder back to a short-term free agent deal, following Merino’s injury last week.
However, reports also suggest that Oxlade-Chamberlain could join a Scottish Premiership team instead of coming back to the Emirates. He has been training with Arsenal’s U21s, and hasn’t played for a top team since last season when he was at Turkish side Besiktas.
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