Good morning everyone, it’s a very quiet Friday and as we won’t hear from Mikel Arteta until this afternoon, before our FA Cup match against Liverpool, this morning will be a short blog.
As for transfers, there is very little movement. There is talk of Arsenal looking for a left-back in this window, but that could also mean a defender who is primarily a left-back but can also play elsewhere in the backline. Sam Dean shows interest in 17-year-old Ajax defender Jorrel Hato:
Arsenal are planning a move for Ajax teenager Jorrel Hato. The 17-year-old can operate as a centre-back and left-back, and has played every minute of every game for Ajax this season. It is understood that a summer move is more likely than a January one. #AFC https://t.co/JkCDCXRa5f
– Sam Dean (@SamJDean) January 4, 2024
It’s probably a shrewd move for the summer, but as a player who can come in and help a team during the title chase? I’m not sure. On the other hand, who is that player this month and what is the club willing to do? The loan market in January rarely offers many benefits, much more so for Denis Suárez than Martin Odegaard, but let’s see. If Edu could pull another rabbit out of the hat like he did with the Norwegian, that would be great.
There is also some interest in Fenerbahce’s Ferdi Kadioglu, who, according to Transfermarkt, is primarily a left back but can also play at right back and right winger. This season he has played mainly on the left, with a couple of appearances in the other full-back position.
However, experience tells us that transfer rumors from Turkey should be taken with a grain of salt, even if he is represented by the same agency that deals with Mikel Arteta, so there is a connection there. However, they are a very large agency, with many players and coaches on their books, so that is probably a stretch. I don’t know if it’s something to keep an eye on, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a player who can play as a defender and attacker was of interest to Arteta. At this point his ideal signing would be a centre-back. Which sounds like a brand of guitar, but basically it’s someone who can play anywhere, from back to front, and probably in goal as well.
Beyond that, there’s not much to tell you, so why don’t I tell you some other things to read this morning? There is something quite interesting on Sky Sports about Martin Odegaard’s role in creating opportunities and the fact that those opportunities are not ending. Not that this comes as a big surprise to anyone, but a lot of what is wrong can be fixed with greater efficiency in front of goal. After Fulham there has been a lot of talk that there are many things fundamentally wrong with our football (something I don’t agree with) and this article proves it. We can do many things better, of course, but this is not a situation where you can’t even begin to see what the problem is.
There is more analysis of the captain and how a change has led him to be more influential in an extensive article by Billy Carpenter, whose newsletter is worth subscribing to, by the way, he produces consistently excellent material. A slight reversal may have influenced Fulham’s performance, but it was such a collective bad day that it is difficult to adequately quantify it. There are also good things about Saka and Martinelli, and many more. Anyway, he grabs a cup and goes read.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest from the manager’s press conference over at Arseblog News, and I’ll leave you with a new Arsecast this morning. I’m joined by Elliot from the ArsenalVision Podcast to make ‘Statements’, which he has to totally agree, agree, disagree or totally disagree with. Topics include Kieran Tierney, our performance in front of goal, goalkeepers and much more.
Happy listening, more from me here tomorrow.
