Arsenal have once again endured a lacklustre campaign so far, making the ongoing January window a crucial period for new boss Mikel Arteta and his men.
Having committed to a few high-profile transfers in recent times, Arsenal stretched themselves financially even though the club have to go another season without Champions League football.
Here are two players Arsenal must look at signing on loan deals in January.
Juventus midfielder Rabiot has been linked with a move to the Emirates in January, as per football.london.
The Gunners’ midfield situation resembles that of a soap opera at the moment. Granit Xhaka‘s inconsistent form and questionable efforts have been woeful and the same can be said about Mesut Ozil, whose output on the pitch does not reflect his colossal wages.
Matteo Guendouzi has played better than both Xhaka and Ozil this season but his form has also been up and down. Lucas Torreira has been the only true workhorse in the middle of the park for Arsenal this season as he utilizes his pace and strength to win the ball back and send his teammates up the pitch.
Rabiot, who has only made nine appearances for Juventus this campaign, is known as a box-to-box player and that is exactly what Arsenal need at the moment. Too many mediocre teams have outplayed Arsenal in the midfield and as a result, they have threatened Bernd Leno’s goal far too many times in games.
Rabiot traditionally plays as a defensive midfielder but he has been utilized higher up the pitch and even out wide at times in the past.
Another Juventus player who has been linked with a move to Arsenal is defender Merih Demiral (h/t The Mirror).
In the summer window, new Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri bolstered his centre-back options with the signings of Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax in addition to Demiral from Sassuolo.
When taking into consideration that Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Daniele Rugani are still at the club, Sarri is certainly spoilt for choice.
The 21-year-old has been limited to just three appearances in Serie A so far this season which is hardly the best situation ahead of this summer’s European Championships.
The Turkish international can play at centre-back or on the right side of the defence. He has produced some outstanding displays for Turkey this season, helping them qualify for the Euro 2020 finals.
Arsenal’s dodgy backline has been a major problem this season – having conceded 30 goals in 21 games – more than Brighton and Crystal Palace.
The Gunners urgently need to step up their transfer strategy after a number of unconvincing recent signings.