Every single team across Europe is looking for some extra pieces to improve their roster in order to face the second half of the season, and naturally, Arsene Wenger isn’t a guy that’s just gonna keep his arms crossed while every other competitor boosts their chances with a new guy or two.
Several rumours have surrounded the Emirates Stadium since the start of the season, and even if some of them can sound kind of crazy, others make a lot of sense, and we’ll take a look at three guys that Wenger should target for this upcoming winter transfer window, as they need everybody running and gunning if they want to remain in the top 3 of the Premier League for the remainder of the year.
Jose Maria Gimenez
The Uruguayan is having a real bad time at Atletico Madrid right now, as even if he was set to be the next Diego Godin, Simeone has gone with Stefan Savic to play as the other centre back with his compatriot, and the talented defender is getting tired of waiting for an opportunity to show what he’s capable of.
Wenger is looking for several defenders to improve that sector of the pitch, and even if they have a very reliable duo of Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny, the latter is getting old and will struggle to remain totally fit in coming years, so they should make the most of that situation and try to steal “Chema” from Simeone as soon as possible.
Andrea Belotti
Bellotti has already been linked with several teams, Arsenal included, and it’s quite easy to see why, as he’s quickly become one of the new offensive forces of the Italian national team and the Serie A for his team, Torino.
The striker could be a perfect fit for a side that’s almost without a striker except for Olivier Giroud, so it’ll be a smart move for Wenger’s side to try and complete his signing before his bidding price goes any higher at the end of the year.
Leandro Paredes
Leandro is very likely to arrive at North London anytime soon, as he’s captivated Arsene Wenger despite not being at his best level at AS Roma right now. The Argentinian has shown to be a great offensive player since his days at Boca Juniors and he could be an Erik Lamela kind of player for the Gunners.
Even if he wouldn’t be a starter right away for Arsenal, Paredes could be a nice insurance policy for both Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, as the latter is quite injury prone. Besides, he could provide a lot of help off the bench for the Gunners, and it’s very likely that both clubs make a move including him and Arsenal’s loanee Jack Wilshere.
There have been also some other guys that are reportedly on Arsenal’s radar, like Max Meyer and Naby Keita, but those moves seem more unlikely to happen during this transfer window, and for Wenger, it’s probably going to have to wait until the summer to make a run at them.