Breaking Down Arsenal's Biggest Needs in 2016 January Transfer Window

For Arsenal, the January transfer window represents a vital pit stop in the race for the Premier League title.

The Gunners are in a strong position, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t do with strengthening. Actually, the very fact the opportunity to win the league is so apparent means they must go all out to ensure they do everything they can to improve their chances of ending their wait for the title they last won in 2004. 

Although Arsene Wenger typically prefers to do his business in the summer, it appears he may be prepared to do some midseason business this time around. Speaking to beIN Sports (h/t the Daily Express), Wenger seemed open to the possibility of bringing in at least one new player in January: 

"

Yes, we are short and the number of games we have to play in January are very important.

God knows how we will come out of the Christmas period, with a lot of demand on the physical front so we need to do something.  

I would love to give you names, downstairs in the bar with a coffee but not in front of your camera. 

"

Wenger is unwilling to identify the players he’s interested in, but we’re able to play detective and analyse his squad requirements.

Holding Midfielder

The first area the Gunners need to reinforce is the base of their midfield. For most of this season, Wenger’s first-choice pair comprised Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin. However, he’s set to be without that pair until the spring.

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In Aaron Ramsey, Wenger arguably has a ready-made Cazorla replacement at his disposal. Ramsey has been playing wide right for much of 2015/16, but his preferred position is in the centre of the park. The Spaniard’s injury presents a huge opportunity for Ramsey to establish himself in his ideal role.

However, he is quite a different player to Cazorla. While the Spaniard’s game is predominantly about methodical possession, Ramsey has a more all-action approach. 

That could require a different partner. At the moment, Mathieu Flamini is standing in for Coquelin. The two Frenchmen share a combative style. However, Arsenal may need to add someone with a slightly different skill set to offset Ramsey’s risk-taking game.

Back in 2013, Ramsey formed an effective partnership with disciplined distributor Mikel Arteta. Although Arteta’s body no longer seems capable of withstanding the rigours of Premier League football, someone in that mould could provide a complementary partner for Ramsey in the short term, and an excellent option in the long term too.

Forward 

Were Danny Welbeck fit to return to action in January, Arsenal would probably not be interested in recruiting another attacker. However, speaking to Jack Gaughan of MailOnline, Wenger confessed Welbeck is still some way away from a comeback: "He is still not available because of bone bruising that deteriorated. It is a big blow for us, especially because we could not rotate and lost Alexis Sanchez."

Welbeck’s injury has kept him out for the best part of a year. After such a long absence, who knows what further setbacks could befall him. 

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Wenger has Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott to rotate at centre-forward, but it’s in the wide areas where he could arguably do with more support. Recently, he’s been forced to play Joel Campbell regularly on the flank. Although the Costa Rican has been surprisingly effective when cutting in from the right-hand side, it’s true Arsenal could upgrade.

Ramsey’s redeployment in the centre has effectively created a vacancy on the right-hand side. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was expected to make the position his own, but he is seemingly struggling for both fitness and confidence.

Acquiring an attacking player who is capable of improving Arsenal’s options in January will not be easy, but Wenger’s scouts will be charged with identifying any potential additions in that area. One such man could be Celta Vigo’s Nolito. According to Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo (h/t talkSPORT), the Gunners are monitoring the Celta star’s situation after it was revealed he has a buyout clause of £12.6 million in his contract. 

A muscular dribbler with great goalscoring instincts, Nolito is the sort of wide forward who would immediately improve the attacking portion of Wenger’s squad.

Right-Back

Wenger probably hopes he will not have to buy a defender in this window. That part of his squad has been relatively settled. There is an established first-choice back four of Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Hector Bellerin with a number of experienced back-ups waiting behind. 

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However, some of the reserves are unhappy with that hierarchy—particularly France international Mathieu Debuchy.

Debuchy lost his regular place to the Spaniard Hector Bellerin last season, and with Euro 2016 on the horizon, he is desperate to secure the regular football required to reclaim his international place.

Back in November, he told MailOnline's Matt Barlow:

"

It's certain that being on the bench every weekend is not easy for me to handle. It's the first time for me in my career.

I am putting up with it and trying to stay mentally strong, but it's true that sometimes it's more difficult than at other times, when in your mind things are complicated.

It's a case of staying focused until December and then we'll see what happens after that.

"

Wenger must be tempted to keep Debuchy on as cover. However, he also has form for letting unsettled players leave halfway through the campaign—12 months ago, Lukas Podolski was allowed to join Inter Milan on loan despite Arsenal’s many injury problems.

It’s possible Debuchy will also be granted a move. That could leave Arsenal looking for short-term cover for Bellerin. Although they still have Calum Chambers, he seems much more comfortable as a centre-half, and he may even be called upon to fill in in midfield. Carl Jenkinson is out on a season-long loan with West Ham United, the terms of which may stipulate he cannot return to the club in January. 

If Wenger allows Debuchy to go, he could be left scrabbling around for a replacement.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.