Arsenal first January signing is Here, agreement reached overnight, player to sign 6yrs contract with the Gunners, Jersey number revealed as medical schedule to take place today.

Arsenal faced a challenging holiday season, enduring a winless streak in their last four games. Mikel Arteta’s squad suffered three consecutive defeats against West Ham United, Fulham, and Liverpool, causing them to slip from first to fourth in the Premier League standings.

While Arsenal is just five points behind league leaders Liverpool, their recent performance has unveiled certain weaknesses within the team. A notable issue is the apparent lack of attacking prowess, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus experiencing a decline in goal-scoring compared to the previous season.

Last season, Saka scored every 228 minutes, Martinelli every 187 minutes, and Jesus every 189 minutes. This season, Saka scores once every 278 minutes, Martinelli once every 649 minutes, and Jesus once every 313 minutes. Given Jesus’s limited three goals in the current season, the pursuit of Ivan Toney is a logical move, but Arsenal seems hesitant to match Brentford’s steep €116 million (£100 million) asking price, potentially thwarting any hopes of a January transfer.

Another concern arises in central midfield, where an over-reliance on Declan Rice is evident amid Thomas Partey’s injury struggles. Additionally, issues in the full-back positions have surfaced. Benjamin White’s performance has not been as impressive as the previous year, and left-back is a particular area of worry. Kieran Tierney is on loan at Real Sociedad, Jurrien Timber is injured, Oleksandr Zinchenko has shown defensive vulnerabilities, and Jakub Kiwior does not appear entirely comfortable in that role.