Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has made up his mind about Mesut Ozil. The German has been frozen out for months and it appears likely he won’t play for the Gunners again.
If Ozil is hurting, however, so are Arsenal. The Gunners have lacked creativity in the final third this season. Arteta’s men have scored only nine goals in eight Premier League games.
Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Leicester and Liverpool have scored twice as many as Arsenal this term, although the attackers Arteta has at his disposal are arguably as good.
Arsenal’s forwards are suffering from poor service. They have to create something themselves or wait for one of the wing-backs to find space high up the pitch.
Ozil would potentially thrive in this Arsenal squad, but Arteta doesn’t want him. The Gunners boss is searching for a new number 10 in January to replace the German, and reportedly has three names on his shortlist (FC Inter News).
Rumours over a potential deal for former Tottenham star Christian Eriksen emerged this week (Corriere dello Sport). The Dane knows the league well and has proved he’s capable of picking a pass in the final third. However, he is reportedly Arteta’s third choice.
FC Inter News claims RB Salzburg star Dominik Szoboszlai is second on Arteta’s wish list. The Hungarian is one of the brightest prospects in world football at the moment.
A number of clubs are after him and, thanks to his release clause, Arsenal could sign him for just £23 million in January (Gazzetta dello Sport).
So who is Arteta’s priority target in the winter transfer window? Houssem Aouar. The Gunners tried long and hard to sign the Frenchman in the summer but Lyon’s asking price proved too expensive.
If the report is to believed, Arsenal will try to sign 22-year-old Aouar in January. If a deal can’t be done, however, Arteta always has two other options – and both of them available for a much smaller fee.
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