Arsenal need to add to the midfield department in the January transfer window. Despite a strong starting pivot in the middle of the park, there is a lack of quality in depth to boost Mikel Arteta’s options.
Youri Tielemans was thought to be the main target to bolster the Arsenal midfield. However, Arsenal have hesitated over a deal in the past, which was proven when Edu opted against signing him in the summer.
If Edu does opt against signing Tielemans in January, then it is crucial that an alternative is signed. A potential option for the Gunners is to hijack Liverpool’s potential deal for Mohammed Kudus from Ajax. The north London side had previous embarrassed the Reds after a World Cup in 2014, and they can look to do it again ahead of the current January transfer window.
READ MORE: Edu faces Serie A battle in securing Arsenal transfer that completes perfect La Liga redemption
Arsenal went on to sign Alexis Sanchez in 2014, after the Chilean had an excellent World Cup with his side narrowly missing out on progression to the quarter-finals after losing to the host’s Brazil in a nail-biting penalty shootout.
The Gunners had to fight Liverpool in order to secure his signature, and Steven Gerrard spoke on how it was a long-shot deal for Liverpool. Speaking in his autobiography, Gerrard said: “It was the same ritual every summer. The club would let me know which long-shot target they had in mind and then ask me to contact him.
“I tried hard with Sanchez,” he wrote. “I was hoping I could ride the wave of our fantastic 2013-14 season. He was great in the way he responded; his English was good and we had some detailed text exchanges.
"We knew Arsene Wenger was also in the hunt,” Gerrard said. “Wenger had gone to Brazil to try and convince him. Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, Sanchez pointed out, politely but honestly, that he appreciated my career was coming to an end and he felt he needed to be careful before signing a contract with Liverpool.
"Essentially, he wasn’t really certain of Liverpool’s future and had a lot more confidence in Arsenal. I appreciated the fact he was open and candid about his reasons. Being in London was another attraction for him and his girlfriend.”
Following Sanchez’s rejection of Liverpool, Edu can attempt the same with Kudus who has been linked with both clubs. According to Sports World Ghana Liverpool had scouts at Ghana’s opening 3-2 defeat to Portugal, in which Kudus marked his debut at the tournament with an assist. The report goes on to claim that the Reds could potentially make a January move for the midfielder.
This comes after Arsenal legend Thierry Henry praised Kudus after his Champions League performance against Liverpool earlier in the season. "He [Kudus] came from the Academy Right to Dream from Ghana and he is living his dream," Henry said on CBS Sports.
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