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Football London
Football London
Sport
Paul Clarke

Arsenal legend urges Unai Emery to make two key January transfer decisions

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has issued a transfer message to Unai Emery and the club's board ahead of the January window.

The Gunners have shown flashes of quality this season but that has been overshadowed by a perceived lack of growth under Emery.

Arsenal sit just two points off the top four after nine games but goals conceded are an issue. Emery's men have shipped 12 in nine matches and have only won two of their last five Premier League encounters.

Keown, once a centre-back leader of a defensive unit which was heralded as one of the best of their generation in the 1990s, feels that changes must be made.

Arsenal's former captain Laurent Koscielny left the club during the summer but the Gunners did acquire David Luiz from Chelsea.

Sheffield United 1-0 Arsenal: Unai Emery post-match press conference

And now Keown has identified two players from Belgian club Genk as potential answers to Arsenal's problems at the back, with the former defender suggesting that Emery should be keeping tabs on Colombian duo Carlos Cuesta and Jhon Lucumi.

"(Cuesta) looks some player by the way, both Colombian central defenders look pretty decent," Keown explained.

"If I was an Arsenal scout - and never have been, never been asked to comment ever as a former player on prospective purchases - these two are not bad, I can tell you."

Keown was speaking as a pundit for BT Sport during Genk's 4-1 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday evening. Despite the pair shipping four goals against the European champions, it's safe to say Keown was impressed.

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