Arsenal to Brighton: What do clubs need in January transfer window?

With the January transfer window now open, Alex Keble and Adrian Clarke assess each of the 20 Premier League clubs and pinpoint areas they need to strengthen.

Arsenal

Targets: Goalscorer and attacking right-back 

The priority for Arsenal is clear to anyone who watched them slog through consecutive defeats to West Ham United and Fulham - Mikel Arteta could do with a ruthless striker capable of finishing the half-chances. 

Arsenal take more touches in the opposition penalty area than anyone else, with 723, and yet have only scored 20 goals from open play this season, the 13th most in the Premier League. 

Worse still, they’re under-performing their open play Expected Goals (xG) by 5.17 goals, with only Manchester United, Chelsea, and Everton doing worse on that front. 

Gabriel Jesus has scored only three goals from 32 shots this season, producing 0.29 goals per 90 minutes - the lowest of his career since hitting 0.28 as a 17-year-old at Palmeiras. 

The evidence clearly suggests that Arsenal could do with a poacher capable of turning possession into goals, particularly when facing low-block opponents who congest the penalty area.

But their goalscoring problems are also about the tactical structure of the team.  

Bukayo Saka is given lots of responsibility - his 305 progressive passes received is a league-high - yet he is regularly shut down by two opposition defenders. 

Arsenal could do with a more dynamic and attacking full-back to support Saka and help make the Gunners less predictable down that right side. Ben White rarely overlaps or moves freely, and has provided just one assist so far this season. 

Arteta tends not to use creative full-backs, mimicking his old mentor Pep Guardiola, but as the goals dry up it might be time for Arsenal to try something a little different – or at least have the option from the bench.

Aston Villa

Targets: Defensive right-back and second striker 

Riding high in second place, Villa obviously don’t need major surgery this January. In fact, they have substantial depth in most areas – except at right-back. 

Matty Cash has fallen out of favour with Unai Emery, perhaps because his attacking instincts can leave Villa vulnerable on that side of the field. 

Sheffield United’s goal in the recent 1-1 draw resulted from a missed interception in the penalty area by Cash, while in November's 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, the opener was scored after Cash got turned too easily by a simple one-two between Anthony Elanga and Nicolas Dominguez.

As a consequence Emery has moved Ezri Konsa to right-back and brought in Diego Carlos, which has destabilised Villa’s central defence, with five goals conceded in their last two matches against Man Utd and Burnley. 

Villa could also do with another striker, partly as back-up for Ollie Watkins, and also to occasionally fill in as a second striker in Emery’s 4-4-2.  

Jhon Duran has made 13 appearances, but for a total of only 158 minutes, which suggests that Emery doesn’t think the 20-year-old is ready. Villa might need two lethal strikers in 2024 should more clubs - becoming fearful of Villa – start to drop deep. 

That’s what Sheff Utd did, holding only 22.3 per cent of the ball, and tellingly Emery’s response was to throw Duran on alongside Watkins for the final 20 minutes.  

It didn’t quite work. Villa need a better secondary striker to support Watkins when a low block proves too stubborn for Plan A.

AFC Bournemouth

Targets: Attacking right-back and back-up forward 

AFC Bournemouth need to strengthen in exactly the same areas as Arsenal and Villa, but whereas Emery’s side need defensive assurance at right-back, Andoni Iraola needs the opposite. 

His team are a little one-sided at present.Forty per cent of their attacks come down the left, compared with 35 per cent on the right, primarily because Bournemouth lack creativity in their right-back options. 

Until recently this was also true on the other side, but Iraola has moved winger Dango Ouattara to left-back for the last three matches, where he has flourished. 

Comparing the attacking statistics of Outtara when starting at left-back with Max Aarons and Adam Smith, the two right-backs Iraola rotates, is revealing as indicated in the table below.

Bournemouth full-backs attacking stats

Bournemouth’s full-backs have produced only four assists between them this season. For a team who look to swarm forward in high numbers in the transition that isn’t enough. 

Just like Villa, the Cherries could also do with back-up for Dominic Solanke. His 12 Premier League goals - including a hat-trick at Forest - account for 43 per cent of Bournemouth’s total, the highest share of any one player in the division. 

Solanke's hat-trick v Nott'm Forest

An injury to Solanke, who has started all 19 league matches, doesn’t bear thinking about.

Brentford

Targets: Tricky winger & firepower 

Five consecutive defeats have left Brentford only four points above the relegation zone and in need of something to shake them out of their slumber. 

The return of Ivan Toney from suspension could be just what they need, although, with Bryan Mbeumo out with a long-term injury and Yoane Wissa off to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Brentford are short on goalscoring forwards. 

Signing another striker would help ease the pressure on Toney to hit the ground running, and yet the Bees might need a substantial tactical rejig, too.

Last season Thomas Frank's side scored 16 set-piece goals, the second-most in the Premier League. This season they’ve managed a mere four, with only five clubs scoring fewer.

They have felt Toney’s absence - Brentford are winning 16.0 aerial duels per match and 49 per cent of their battles, down from 17.5 per match and 52 per cent - but the downturn is too large to be explained away entirely. 

With their set-piece conversion reduced, Brentford could do with more open-play creativity via a tricky winger to take defenders on. 

The Bees sit bottom of the Premier League charts for take-ons, with 291 attempted, while they are 19th for both their 124 successful take-ons and 261 progressive carries this season.  

That might explain why they have only scored one counter-attacking goal this campaign compared with six in 2022/23. 

Unsurprisingly, Brentford's 17 take-ons leading to a shot-creating action rank 19th, which again points to an obvious area for improvement, particularly when their leading dribbler Mbeumo, with 43 take-ons, is on the sidelines. 

Brighton & Hove Albion

Targets: Pair of width-producing full-backs 

Roberto De Zerbi has been open about where Brighton most need to strengthen. 

“Now we are playing for two months without full-backs,” the head coach said recently. “We are changing something in the build-up, playing with three defenders at the back, because we have no full-backs.” 

That tactical change has slowed Brighton down and caused the goals to dry up, with attacks increasingly funneled through the centre of the pitch. Indeed, only Villa and Manchester City attack through the centre more frequently than Brighton's total of 30 per cent. 

Moves become stodgy without enough width, and Brighton have had issues breaking down a low block for a while now.  

In fact, of the eight Premier League matches this season in which Brighton have held 65 per cent or more possession they have won only one, having drawn five and lost the other two. 

Their recent run of poor results reflects this issue perfectly. Brighton have scored six goals in their last five league matches, and yet four of these came in the win against Tottenham Hotspur.  

In the other four fixtures, Brighton could have done with some overlapping full-backs, or at least some genuine width to support their inside forwards in stretching a compact defensive shell.

Also in this series

Part 2: Burnley to Fulham
Part 3: Liverpool to Newcastle
Part 4: Nott'm Forest to Wolves