Best and Worst Moves Arsenal Can Make in the Transfer Window

The transfer window is now just a few weeks away from re-opening, and Arsenal are expected to be one of the Premier League's busier clubs. 

There's a lot for manager Arsene Wenger to consider. Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will be just six months away from the end of their contracts and, in theory, would be free to negotiate terms with clubs outside England. Wenger must choose whether to stick or twist, as this will be his last opportunity to cash in on his star assets. 

They'll be helped in their attempts to strengthen the squad by a new appointment to the backroom team. Scout Sven Mislintat has been acquired from Borussia Dortmund to head up recruitment—the Gunners will hope to use his expertise and network of contacts to their advantage in the window. New Head of Football Relations, Raul Sanllehi, does not join the club until February. 

In this piece, we take a look at the best and worst moves Arsenal could make in the midseason window.

Best moves

1. Go back for Thomas Lemar

Arsenal first tried to lure Thomas Lemar to London with a club record bid on deadline day. The player ultimately chose to stay in Ligue 1, but Wenger declared in an interview with Telefoot (h/t Sky Sports) back in September that the Gunners intended to resurrect their interest:

"Yes, we bid €100m for Lemar but the player wanted to stay in Monaco… Yes, we'll come back in for him."

Lemar's form has dipped this season—as, in fairness, has the form of most players who remained with the Principality club after their summer selling spree. However, his talent is not in question.

If Wenger has identified Lemar as one of the men for Arsenal to rebuild around, the Gunners should go all out to get him in January. Regardless of what happens with Alexis and Ozil, a sprinkling of stardust could help them in their quest to recapture Champions League football.

2. Have one last go at getting Alexis & Ozil to sign

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It's a long shot, but Arsenal should pull out all the stops and make one last offer to both Alexis and Ozil. 

Although the likelihood is the players would have signed on before now if they had any real intention of staying, they do seem to be enjoying their football at the moment. Their combination with Alexandre Lacazette is the most exciting front three Arsenal have had in years, and Ozil in particular appears reinvigorated by playing alongside the signing from Lyon.

Come January, the prodigiously gifted pair will be fully aware what offers are on the able from elsewhere. This is Arsenal's last chance to match those deals. Wenger should make one final attempt to convince them to stay and commit their future to the club. Perhaps as a compromise, Arsenal could offer to include release clauses in any prospective contract; that way, the club's investment in the players is at least protected, but they are still able to go should they wish.

3. Bring in a new wing-back

The area of the squad where Wenger most urgently requires cover is wing-back. Sead Kolasinac and Hector Bellerin are an impressive first-choice pair, but beyond them Arsenal are struggling for options.

In the Europa League, Wenger has relied upon Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson. However, neither player is a natural in the wing-back role. Maitland-Niles is at his best as a holding midfielder, while Nelson would like to be operating as a No. 10 or inside-forward.

Calum Chambers has been used on the right-hand side, although his lack of pace is frequently exposed on the flank. If Kolasinac were to get injured, Nacho Monreal would be the obvious replacement on the left—but that would mean disrupting a back three that have been very solid this season.

Effectively, Wenger is looking to replace Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who provided cover on both wings prior to his move to Liverpool.

4. Talk terms with Aaron Ramsey

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The Welshman has been one of Arsenal's most impressive performers this season. However, come January, he will be just 18 months away from the end of his current contract (h/t ESPN). 

Arsenal cannot afford to let Ramsey get into a similar situation to Alexis and Ozil. They must act now to extend his deal and protect their asset.

Worst moves

1. Sell Alexis

It might be tempting for Wenger to take this opportunity to extract what remaining value he can from Alexis. However, selling him at this stage would prove costly. He has shown on several occasions this season that he is a match-winner, and he could yet make a massive contribution to Arsenal's 2017/18 campaign.  

Any potential buyer would only offer a fraction of Alexis' true value. Arsenal would be better served by keeping hold of him now.

2. Sell Mustafi

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Back in the summer, it looked at one stage as if Shkodran Mustafi might be leaving the club. According to James Olley of the Evening Standard, Arsenal were "keen" to do a permanent deal with Inter Milan for the German international. 

Any possibility of selling Mustafi must now be firmly off the table. He's currently enjoying his best form in an Arsenal shirt, keeping club captain Per Mertesacker out of the side as the centrifugal point in the Gunners' back three.

3. Refuse to strengthen

Wenger can be reluctant to make use of the January window. However, he would be wise to ensure he takes the opportunity to strengthen. If Arsenal do not sign anyone in this window, they will leave themselves with a huge amount of work to do come the summer. 

Think about it: By July 2018, Ozil, Alexis, Mertesacker, Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and David Ospina will all be out of contract. Arsenal will be forced to do a huge amount of rebuilding, and history shows they do not cope well in summers with long agendas.

Buying some new blood in January is effectively a way for Arsenal to give themselves a headstart.

4. Keep all the youngsters 

After the season's mid-season point, Arsenal's attitude to the Europa League is likely to change. As the competition gets into the knockout stages, Wenger is likely to field his first XI more regularly.

That means the likes of Maitland-Niles and Nelson will not get as much as game time. To prevent their development stalling, Arsenal should use the loan market to grant the playing time elsewhere—ideally at Premier League level.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and follows the club from a London base. You can follow him on Twitter here.