Mikel Arteta has proven time and time again that he is willing to make unpopular decisions in order to continue Arsenal ’s progression under his leadership.
In the two years since his appointment, the playing squad at The Emirates has undergone a dramatic transformation and is barely recognisable to the one in which he inherited from Unai Emery.
Along with technical director Edu, Arteta has gone about moving players on, bringing in young players with the capacity to improve.
The Gunners were the busiest Premier League side in the summer, signing six players at a cost of £150million and shipping out stars like David Luiz and Willian.
Join the debate! What do Arsenal need to do in the January window? Tell us in the comments here.
"I think a project has its phases and I am telling you we are in a much better position today to be where we want to be very soon, if we do what we have to do. But we have to be ruthless,” he promised ahead of that window.
“We cannot be crying and stuck on what we don’t have. We have to see what we do have and maximise it to get what we want.”
The overhaul has worked out well so far, with Arsenal sat in fourth place going into the festive fixture schedule.
But Arteta has shown that he isn’t afraid to make controversial calls and that could lead to some surprise departures when the window opens next month.
Mirror Football takes a look at five decisions Arteta must make and give you the chance to have your say:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
It’s unquestionably the biggest decision Arteta has to make in the next few weeks, with reports suggesting the former skipper could be sold.
Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy after what the club referred to as a disciplinary breach.
Following the decision to relieve him of captaincy duties, the forward has been unavailable for selection for the Gunners last three Premier League games.
It remains to be seen whether he will be recalled in the midst of a bust run of fixtures, but his future at the club appears uncertain to say the least.
As the highest paid player at the club, he will be difficult to shift, but like Mesut Ozil and Willian before him, Aubameyang could be another high-profile star allowed to leave.
VERDICT: SELL
Ainsley Maitland-Niles
For much of the summer window, Maitland-Niles looked destined to leave the club in search of more regular first-team opportunities.
Everton were said to be interested in signing the versatile midfielder, only for Arteta to block any exit after holding clear-the-air talks.
Maitland-Niles was promised more minutes in the starting XI, but has managed to earn just 263 minutes in the Premier League so far this season.
The 24-year-old hasn’t played a single minute since the defeat to Liverpool last month, but with the African Cup of Nations potentially depriving Arteta of Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny for up to a month, his chance may come.
Until at least the end of the season, it is worth holding on to him.
VERDICT: KEEP
THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER? Let us know which Arsenal players you would keep and which you would sell...
Nicolas Pepe
At £72m, Pepe has struggled to ever back up why Arsenal made him their club record signing back in 2019.
The Ivorian has shown flashes, however, particularly at the end of last season, where he scored five times in his final three matches.
It’s been tough going this time around though. Since the middle of October, Pepe has played just seven Premier League minutes and has fallen well down the pecking order.
At this point it makes little sense in cashing in on a player whose stock could scarcely be lower.
But Arteta was adamant that they wouldn’t entertain offers for him in January and he could still play an important role in the coming months.
VERDICT: KEEP
Calum Chambers
Chambers is another player that has found minutes difficult to come by, with Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back and Ben White in the centre both moving ahead of him.
Having finally settled on a back four, Arteta has rightly been unwilling to rotate too much and Chambers’ time looks to be limited to cup competitions.
In fact, in 12 of Arsenal’s last 13 games, Chambers hasn’t even made the matchday squad.
Set to be a free agent at the end of the season, if Arsenal could get any fee for him, it would make sense to take it.
VERDICT: SELL
Folarin Balogun
After being convinced to sign a new deal last summer, Balogun will have been forgiven in thinking this season could be his breakthrough one.
Balogun has seen the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe both become regulars, while the forward is still predominantly an Under-23s player.
He actually played in both of Arsenal’s opening two Premier League matches but hasn’t made the squad since.
It makes sense for both club and player to sort a loan move out, where he can finally earn regular minutes in senior football.
VERDICT: SELL (ON LOAN)
