Arsenal choose two top transfer targets for January after Arteta eyed Tottenham pair this summer | OneFootball

According to reports, Arsenal have already identified two top targets for the January transfer window after they looked to raid Tottenham Hotspur in the summer.

In the summer transfer window, Arsenal strengthened by signing Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa, Piero Hincapie and Christos Tzolis.

With these signings, Mikel Arteta‘s side are stronger in defence and midfield, but they are arguably weaker in attack than they were last season.

This is becuase Arsenal offloaded Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri and only brought in Tzolis, having missed out on several targets.

Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Junior and Bradley Barcola were among those whom Arsenal targeted but ultimately didn’t sign, so they are arguably short in attack until January at least.

And a report from Caught Offside claims Arsenal are already looking ahead to January with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez and AFC Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi on their ‘two-man shortlist for attacking targets in January’.

The report explains: ‘Alvarez remains the more ambitious option, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside.

‘The Atletico Madrid forward can play as a striker, second forward or from wider areas, while his pressing intensity and experience of winning major trophies would make him an obvious fit for Arteta’s system. Arsenal explored a summer move, but Alvarez’s preference for Barcelona prevented negotiations from progressing.’

Inside story on Arsenal’s summer window revealed

BBC Sport, meanwhile, have shed light on how Arsenal’s summer transfer window unfolded, with several alternative targets to Vinicius Junior named as they targeted the Real Madrid star.

They explain: ‘In the meantime, however, Berta explored alternatives – Bradley Barcola, Kenan Yildiz, Yan Diomande and Nico Paz were admired. Anthony Gordon was a long-term target, but he had agreed before the World Cup to join Barcelona.’

In defence, it is stated that Konsa was always Arsenal’s ‘first-choice option’, but they also considered moves for Cristian Romero before he joined Atletico Madrid and his former Tottenham teammate.

The report claims: