Compared to only this time last week in the Football Transfer Tavern, our Arsenal supporters are back to feeling on cloud nine after how the weekend’s Premier League fixtures panned out.
For long periods in the Gunners’ home fixture with Sunderland on Saturday afternoon, Sam Allardyce’s men looked the better team but Arsenal managed to score at the right times, not to mention the Black Cats scuffing numerous key chances to put the North London side to the sword.
Coming out 3-1 victors, on the very same weekend, there were no victories for Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool – oh and Chelsea – so our Arsenal supporters are back to feeling smug…for now anyway!
But in all honesty, Arsenal looked shaky, particularly in the first half against the Black Cats with it being visibly apparent that the Gunners are struggling to recapture the same balance without Francis Coquelin and Alexis Sanchez to call upon at the moment.
That said, in this Premier League season in particular, grinding out victories is huge, especially considering so many other teams are fluffing their lines more often than ever before.
With Arsenal and many others within touching distance of Leicester City at the summit right now, the January transfer window could be huge with any successful new additions maybe being enough to see whichever club through come the business end of the season.
Today however, we’re concentrating on who might be leaving Arsenal and that’s why we’ve devised a five-man shortlist of players Gunners supporters need to say bye to in the January transfer window.
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Click on the image below to reveal the five players that Arsenal fans need to say bye to in January.
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Mikel Arteta
Imagine still being captain at a club whereby none of the supporters truly believe in your abilities any more.
That’s the case for Mikel Arteta right now who at 33-years-old isn’t trusted by many when called upon under Arsene Wenger nowadays.
Injured at present, Arteta had a horror show with his own goal and lacklustre performance after arriving into the West Bromwich Albion game away as a sub recently.
Unfortunately for Arsenal fans, these laboured performances from their once dependable Spanish midfielder are becoming all too commonplace and we’ve seen how Gooners have gravitated to Francis Coquelin given his mobility and dynamism in comparison to Arteta.
With Arteta playing in a role in which so many other world class transfer targets are often linked with the Gunners, most supporters naturally make comparisons and would rather the club landed a Lars Bender type of signing while finally parting with the former Everton man whose legs seem to have gone – well, for a club performing right at the top of the league anyway!
Calum Chambers – LOAN
We saw far more of Calum Chambers at the start of last season with the former Southampton man getting increased game time due to another Gunners injury crisis, that time striking their defence.
However, fast forward to the current campaign and Chambers has only really been used in cup fixtures as a bit-part player who receives cameos here and there depending on when Arsenal need to shut down a game.
Seemingly having lost his confidence after Swansea City’s Jefferson Montero tore him apart at the Liberty Stadium last season, Chambers looks like he has a mistake in him when he plays with the defender often trusting his abilities to play out from the back.
Still a top prospect despite his stock falling a tad, we feel Chambers needs a loan switch at a lesser Premier League club in order to regain some confidence.
Naturally however, Chambers won’t be leaving Emirates Stadium unless Wenger lands a new defender and several Gooners have been calling for one of those with Per Mertesacker not trusted by everybody!
Mathieu Debuchy
He hasn’t really had a chance to get going at Arsenal in the grand scheme has he?
When signed from Newcastle United for £12 million at the start of last season, Gooners were delighted given they immediately found an experienced quality international replacement for the departed Bacary Sagna.
However, injuries have hit the French international hard and coupled with the emergence of Hector Bellerin, Debuchy is now little more than an unused substitute when the young Spaniard is fit.
To be honest right now, Bellerin’s performances have wobbled in the last couple of weeks so perhaps Debuchy should be looking at the current situation as a potential opportunity but now being 30-years-old, we don’t feel he’s a long-term solution for the Gunners with Bellerin surely here to stay for a while yet.
Cashing in on Debuchy in January could be a viable solution with Carl Jenkinson still in the Arsenal loop having signed a new deal at Emirates Stadium ahead of completing a second season-long loan switch to West Ham United.
Tomas Rosicky
Expected to return from injury in January according to Physio Room, it’s a huge shame that Tomas Rosicky’s Arsenal career has been blighted by injuries given he’s a quality player on his day.
While Arsenal enjoy slow build-ups to attacks with Arsene Wenger’s team making a lot of side-to-side passes, especially when facing teams who park the bus, fan favourite Rosicky is one of few who loves to run at opponents in direct fashion, unleashing shots from distance to boot.
Arsenal supporters will hope they still get to see a bit more of this from the veteran Rosicky before he ends up leaving North London but in reality, does he have long left?
Back in October, it was reported that Rosicky wanted a summer move to Aston Villa (God knows why!) for more game time at the start of the season, only to see Arsene Wenger block the move.
But if Arsenal get the likes of Jack Wilshere back to fitness while potentially signing another new midfielder, perhaps Rosicky might finally become surplus to requirements then.
If he does leave, Arsenal supporters will pay their tributes to an incredibly loyal member of their playing squad.
Alex Iwobi – LOAN
Part of Arsenal’s matchday squad on five occasions already this term, Alex Iwobi is living out his dreams having been one of the breakout stars of the Gunners’ academy in more recent times.
Earning his first senior international caps for Nigeria to boot, Iwobi’s star is on the rise but you feel he needs far more regular playing opportunities at first team level.
A winger or forward, Arsenal’s current injury crisis means he needs to stick around at Emirates Stadium at present but if Wenger significantly strengthens in January, a loan opportunity may crop up for the 19-year-old.
The likes of Isaac Hayden and Chuba Akpom are currently on loan at a good level with Hull City in the Championship and a similar kind of move for Iwobi would only benefit the player long-term
