Arsenal’s uphill battle to say an illusive Premier League title took one other hit over January because the membership didn’t make any main additions to a depleted first-team squad.
Mikel Arteta’s facet have been ravaged by accidents at numerous factors this season, with star man Bukayo Saka the most recent massive title to spend a protracted interval on the sidelines following Martin Odegaard’s prolonged layoff earlier within the marketing campaign.
Kai Havertz’s patchy kind and Gabriel Jesus’ recurring health points have left the Gunners missing in ahead areas at key moments this season, a problem which was broadly anticipated to be rectified within the switch market final month.
Arsenal reside to remorse lacking out on ‘thrilling’ switch goal
Gabriel Jesus has struggled for health over current seasons (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Nonetheless, no such transfer occurred, with Arsenal opting to not transfer for a longtime striker regardless of hyperlinks to a number of the largest names on the continent.
RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres had been names heard all through the window, though Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins , ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo’s listing of the most effective strikers on this planet proper now , appeared to prime the shortlist as deadline day approached.
Ollie Watkins was closely linked to a transfer to the Emirates in January (Picture credit score: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Pictures)
Amid rumours of an underwhelming bid in addition to crew mate Jhon Duran departing for Al Nassr in a big-money transfer , Watkins stayed put having been denied a self-confessed ‘dream’ transfer to his boyhood membership.
In keeping with The Athletic , Watkins was reportedly excited by a possible January change, having impressed for Aston Villa throughout their exceptional rise in current season, whereas necessary figures in North London had been unanimously in favour of a transfer for the England worldwide.
Arsenal’s first and solely bid for the striker got here in at £40 million after slight issues had been raised surrounding his resale worth, whereas the state of Aston Villa’s PSR compliance for the season additionally remained extremely speculated earlier than Duran’s departure.
The bid, unsurprisingly, fell means wanting the mark because the Gunners failed to return in with an improved supply, in flip cementing their ahead choices for the rest of the season devoid of any additions.
Arteta has an actual problem on his arms if he’s to raise any silverware this season (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
Simply days later, Arsenal had been dumped out of the Carabao Cup in a 4-0 mixture defeat to Newcastle , a win orchestrated by the imperious Alexander Isak .
The irony was not misplaced on followers that an opposing striker had dealt a significant blow to Arsenal’s season after their very own switch failures, whereas hopes of rescuing something from the marketing campaign depend on success in both the Premier League or the Champions League , each of which seem like mountains to climb at this stage.
