The January transfer window is upon us, and Arsenal will undoubtedly be looking to strengthen the one key area the squad so desperately lacks; creativity in the midfield. After their failed summer pursuit of Lyon’s Houssem Aouar, the Gunners lack of attacking prowess from the center of the pitch was a major factor in their miserable run of form in November and December that sent them plummeting down the Premier League table. Mikel Arteta had no choice but to place his faith in youngster Emile Smith Rowe at the number ten, and Smith Rowe has repaid his manager in spades thus far in the past three Arsenal matches, all of which were wins.
However, even the most adamant of Smith Rowe fans will know that he alone is not enough, and Arsenal must do everything they can to acquire another creative midfielder in the transfer window. The name most frequently attached to Arsenal at this current juncture is Norwich City’s most dangerous man, Argentine Emiliano Buendia. While undoubtedly a man in form, there are far more red flags to this signing than potential positives.
The 24-year-old has been on fire in the Championship for the Canaries, scoring seven goals and assisting a further seven while playing from the right wing. He is given creative freedom, however, which allows him to drift infield and take on a more central role at times, and could therefore theoretically thrive in a more central role at Arsenal. His current market value is around £20 million. However, some reports have Norwich holding out for much more than that.
There are a few reasons for a pause in the pursuit of Emiliano Buendia. The major one would be that positionally, he has played mostly on the right wing, a position that Arsenal already has too many players currently occupying. Willian, Nicolas Pepe, and Reiss Nelson (more on him shortly) are already finding match time hard to come by, with Bukayo Saka being the first name on the team sheet at the position. Would adding another potentially expensive player to that bunch really make sense?
Another reason against the Argentine would be the potential additional cost in securing him. Rumors are swirling that a player plus cash deal might be discussed, and the player heading to Norwich could be Reiss Nelson. That would be a catastrophic mistake on every level. Nelson is a player of tremendous potential, and he simply hasn’t been given a consistent run of games in the Premier League to show it. Pacey, tricky on the ball, and defensively hungry, he is exactly the type of player Arsenal should be looking to build around, not sell. Would giving up on him in exchange for a Championship player in a similar position really be sound business? Not at all.
The final reason against Emiliano Buendia comes back to what I just mentioned; He’s a Championship player. We have seen him perform in the Premier League last season, and the results were not inspiring. He featured in 36 matches for the relegated Canaries and contributed one measly goal to go with seven assists for a side that couldn’t pick up points. Would Arsenal really shell out cash and a prodigious young talent for that kind of track record? Sure, he has been in sparkling form this season, but come on, the Championship is miles off the pace of the Premier League. If Arsenal truly want to solve their creativity problem, they should look for an established young talent from a major European League. Anything else could lead to another failed signing.
While there will most likely be more departures than additions this window, the outcome of Arsenal’s January business will be critical in determining where they finish the season in the table. It is up to Arteta and Edu to make the moves that will benefit the club both in the present and future, and ideally, that means shifting their focus away from the lower leagues of England.
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