Arsenal’s first deadline day transfer decided in emergency midfielder | Football | Sport
Arsenal have been forced into late action after Mikel Merino suffered a broken bone in his foot and is set to undergo surgery. Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing squad were thought to be perfectly balanced, but they are scouring the market in search of someone who could cover the Spanish star, who has performed in both midfield and attack over the past two seasons
The Gunners have not been afraid to spend in January previously, most notably the additions of Martin Odegaard and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and could do so once again in order to protect their chances of winning both the Premier League and Champions League in the coming months. Here, our Express Sport writers have explained exactly what we would do today in order to best-position Arsenal for the rest of the season.
Charlie Malam – Rodrigo Mendoza
I’m sticking with the man I said Arsenal should sign at the start of the window. Elche’s Rodrigo Mendoza, who has every attribute of the ideal modern-day midfielder and could be a big player for the Gunners in the future. The 20-year-old, a Spain under-21 international, is a super-intelligent ball-carrying specialist with loads of potential and he’s versatile too. He’s the type of player Arsenal can sign now and loan back to La Liga for the rest of this season before assessing his readiness for the Premier League in the summer. Or Mendoza could even get minutes now, given Mikel Merino’s foot injury, although they are different profiles.
Jack McEachen – Ruben Neves
Ruben Neves’ contract is running down at Al-Hilal and he would provide the immediate output that Mikel Arteta is searching for, likely at a bargain price. He is linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid but such is Arsenal’s pulling power right now that they could likely beat both powerhouses to Neves should they pick up the phone. It’s hard to see how the Gunners could go wrong with a Premier League-proven talent, at a peak age, ready to prove himself ahead of the World Cup.
Amos Murphy – Julian Alvarez
It’s hard to pick holes in Arsenal’s squad right now, given they’ve got so much going for them at the moment. They’ll almost certainly end the season with a piece of silverware to their name, but by adding marksman Julian Alvarez to their ranks, it could represent the difference between taking one trophy and winning the lot!
