This season, Arsenal's performance has been relatively average. In the situation where the four-time Premier League champions Manchester City suddenly slumped, Arsenal did not seize the great opportunity to compete for the Premier League title. They have played more rounds in the Premier League but are six points behind the top team Liverpool. The head coach, Arteta, has also recently faced criticism from the outside world.
Since taking over Arsenal in December 2019, Arteta has spent more than 700 million pounds on transfers, with stars such as Rice, Thomas, Odegaard, and Jesus becoming core players of Arsenal. However, despite spending such a huge transfer fee, he has only won the English FA Cup championship in his debut season and has not won any other major championships, especially the Premier League title that the team management most hopes to obtain.
According to English media reports, Arsenal's management believes that this season is the best opportunity to win the Premier League title. In the past two seasons, Arsenal has been just one step away from the Premier League title, especially last season when they missed the championship by only two points, giving the Arsenal management hope of winning the Premier League title.
And this season, Manchester City's sudden drop in form has raised higher expectations for this season from Arsenal's management. They hope to win the coveted Premier League title this season. Undoubtedly, Arteta faces tremendous pressure, and if he still fails to win any titles this season, it will not be impossible for him to be sacked.
To this end, Arsenal will continue to strongly support Arteta during the winter window period, especially since Saka may undergo surgery and be out until at least April 2025. According to the British "Daily Mail," Arsenal's priority in the January transfer window is to consider a new attacker. Although the club has received many calls from agents recommending their clients, such as Paris Saint-Germain forward Kolo Muani.
However, Arsenal's winter window signings have already targeted Athletic Bilbao's forward Nico Williams, Bayern Munich's Sane, and loaning Real Madrid's young star Guler. Among the three forwards, considering Sane's age of 28, the team will not view him as a long-term investment. And the 19-year-old Turkish international Guler has already been regarded as an important member of the future by Real Madrid, and Guler is more willing to fight for playing opportunities at Real Madrid. Therefore, the 22-year-old Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams is the striker Arsenal most hopes to obtain.
Nico Williams has made 23 appearances this season, contributing 2 goals and 5 assists, with a valuation of 70 million euros. The 2024 European Cup was the game that made Nico Williams famous. He performed outstandingly for the Spanish national team in the European Cup, scoring the first goal in the final against England and is considered one of the best wingers in the world.
Nico Williams' contract with the team expires in June 2027, with a buyout clause close to 50 million pounds, which is completely within Arsenal's budget range. Arsenal is currently in communication with Nico Williams' agent, preparing to quickly activate the player's 58 million euro release clause. Former Arsenal midfielder Petit suggested in an interview with the media that Arsenal should spare no expense to sign Nico Williams.
In terms of defense, Arsenal intends to clean up the underperforming Ukrainian left-back Zinchenko during the winter window period. In July 2022, Arsenal signed Zinchenko from Manchester City for 35 million euros, and he has made 77 appearances for Arsenal, contributing 2 goals and 4 assists. However, Zinchenko's state has been poor this season, and he has fallen behind Skriniar, Calafiori, and Timber in the left-back lineup. Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu has been plagued by injuries and is more likely to leave during the summer window. Currently valued at 30 million euros, Zinchenko's Arsenal career may soon come to an end.