London outfit Arsenal were dealt a blow in their pursuit of silverware early this season after Claude Puel’s Southampton managed to knock them out of the League Cup in the quarter-final this week. Wenger will not be happy with the result but will now have to concentrate on the domestic league and the Champions League to try and fight for glory. Though the Gunners have found some decent form and are unbeaten in more than 10 league games, they have often shown a few weaknesses in the squad that can easily come back and haunt them late in the season. If Wenger is to sustain this good form throughout the season, he will surely have to improve on his squad when he gets the chance in January.
Here are 3 key areas where Arsenal can improve on their squad in January:
Full-Backs:
With Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs on the left and Carl Jenkinson, Hector Bellerin and Mathieu Debuchy on the right, Arsenal have a number of options in the full-back spots but the manager is not really happy with his options except first choice full-back Hector Bellerin. Wenger has been looking at potential additions to this position and with injuries striking already, the manager might be forced to actually spend in the market. Debuchy is clearly not in the plans of Wenger while Jenkinson has not impressed the manager to take a place in the first team so it might be best for Wenger to find a player who can not only provide some cover but also shoulder some responsibility when needed.
Defensive midfield:
Though the likes of Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin, Mohamed Elneny, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey can all play in that position, Wenger has trusted Coquelin the most and has made him his first choice. Ramsey might not be used anymore in a withdrawn role while Elneny and Cazorla are injured.
Xhaka might need more time to adjust to the league leaving Wenger with not top quality options in the centre of the field. The manager likes to play two midfielders in front of his back-4 with one of them playing a free-flowing role but Wenger has not been able to get the desired results from his squad. And now with two of the players injured, it might be time for the manager to splash the cash and improve on his defensive midfield options in January.
Striker:
The age-old problem for Wenger (or so as it looks) is the striker’s position in the squad. The manager spent close to £20m on Lucas Perez in the summer transfer window but has not trusted him enough to lead the attacking line for the side. Olivier Giroud has not been able to keep himself feet for long periods to work his way into the squad and Danny Welbeck is still out injured. This has seen Wenger use Alexis Sanchez as a false-9 and to good effect. But an outright striker can help the side improve on their efficiency in front of goal and it might be time for Wenger to find the right option to add to the squad to reduce the burden on the Chilean.