2 weeks Ago By Nick Akerman
The winter transfer window is a little under two months away. It's a checkpoint in the season, a moment for Premier League teams to look back at their summer business and wonder where it all went wrong. January is also a month of inflation.
No club likes to have its squad disrupted midway through the campaign, so we can expect high prices and difficult negotiations, especially if it's obvious the buying team are desperate for an upgrade in a particular area. Here's five teams who could use a little winter spruce up, either to kick on or to get where they should be. It's a tired argument: Arsenal need a "proper" striker.
Just like they have for the best part of two years now. Kai Havertz's evolution slowed the need, but he's looked lost in games against the Gunners' title rivals this season. Even though the Germany international will score goals against the rest, Mikel Arteta's side need the finished article if they're going to win the Premier League.
Gabriel Jesus' bluntness is only escalating the situation as he continues to prove inconsistent. A summer spent fortifying defence and midfield—with the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino coming in—means the sole focus now needs to be on providing Bukayo Saka with someone to feed in attack. Arsenal are in danger of slowing as the momentous push of the last couple of years takes its toll.
A proven goalscorer could breathe fresh life into a team that is also missing the creative juices of Martin Odegaard. Arteta has no out-and-out strikers to build his side around, just people who can sort of do the job if needed. That needs to change before it's too late.
The precise needs of Manchester United will become clearer in the next few weeks. Ruben Amorim's arrival should bring a three-at-the-back system and expose the most vital areas of weakness in a squad that is somehow already craving a significant overhaul. United's finances aren't too healthy, especially after the £20 million turnover from Erik ten Hag to Amorim, so the new manager's targets will need to be smart.
Even being kind, it's fair to say a proven striker, left-sided defender and central midfielder are essential as soon as possible. The incoming coach will need to make his mark largely with what he's got, so it's vital club owners INEOS give him time. Ten Hag's tactics elevated the issues of a squad that lacks technical ability and an understanding of how to carry out tactical instructions every week.
Amorim must find a way to get United consistently playing like they did in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. Some shrewd winter purchases may be the start of that. One of the main criticisms thrown at Pep Guardiola over the years is that he tends to overcomplicate things.
Having Erling Haaland has simplified a lot of the on-pitch verboseness, but a magnifying glass does need to be held up to who the manager is willing to let leave the Etihad Stadium. The Norwegian striker is coming under a bit of pressure this campaign, and the sale of Julián Alvarez means there's no main contender to remove some of the heat. Alvarez contributed to 20 goals in the Premier League last season.
His hard work attracted Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone, with both Alvarez and City suffering after the move. Did the Manchester City manager overcomplicate things again? He didn't replace Alvarez's output, despite Savinho looking quality in the opening stint of the season. Guardiola survived the sale of Cole Palmer, and City will likely be in contention for trophies without Alvarez, but there's a sense the Argentinian's presence would make things a lot easier.
Granted, nobody could legislate for Rodri's season-ending injury, a factor that naturally knocks City down a peg or two. For the first time in a couple of years, it feels like there's a few openings for additions, both to help Haaland and to evolve a squad that likely won't feature Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gündoğan and others for too much longer. A really nice thing is happening on the pitch with Chelsea.
We're seeing Enzo Maresca fully stamp his identity on a group of players who couldn't tell you which way was up last season. The Italian is prioritising balance over big names, evidenced by Enzo Fernandez sat on the bench while Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia build a sharp connection in midfield. It's also the reason Nicolas Jackson, with his long strides behind the opposition's defence and improving finishing ability, starts ahead of a superstar like Christopher Nkunku.
The defence is letting Maresca's side down, though. Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana are showing promise, but the Blues are missing a Thiago Silva-style leader who has been there and done it all. Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo almost feel interchangeably average at times in a Chelsea defence that has conceded as many as Bournemouth in 10th and one fewer than relegation-threatened Crystal Palace.
This is already a billion pound work-in-progress of a squad, so a little extra expenditure at the turn of the year should be expected. One or two older heads among the entertaining chaos could pay dividends. Premier League leaders Liverpool are showing plenty of excellent traits under Arne Slot.
The Dutchman has added a level of control to Jurgen Klopp's frantic attack and has established a balanced midfield that wasn't apparent during the former manager's final days. Ryan Gravenberch is putting in a ton of work to sew things together in the middle for a squad that is working extremely hard but still has obvious areas of improvement. Like so many clubs, finding the right permanent striker is proving tough.
Diogo Jota's injury issues have continued and Darwin Núñez doesn't feel like the long-term answer to battling with City. The Uruguay international must be commended for his energy in recent weeks, though, even if the goals aren't flowing. Alongside this, some of Liverpool's old guard are beginning to slow.
Andrew Robertson was destroyed by Saka in the recent 2-2 draw with Arsenal, appearing rigid on the turn and struggling to keep up with the pace. The Scottish full-back's threat has also been impotent this season, the gut-busting assist-machine of old yet to set up one goal in any competition this campaign. Throw in a 33-year-old Virgil van Dijk, and it might make sense to begin adding players who can grow into long-term replacements for such important stars of the Klopp era.
Reds fans should be encouraged; it's not often a new manager enters a club that has so much recent success and takes over seamlessly, evolving the side with his own ideas while keeping the essence of what already makes them so good. Slot's next big challenge will be replenishing personnel, a process that should begin to take shape in January as he hunts his first trophy at Anfield..
