Three areas Arsenal need to strengthen in January

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Centre-back

During Arsenal’s dominant period under Wenger around the turn of the millennium, the Gunners boasted a strong spine – both mentally and physically. In central defence, the likes of Tony Adams, Martin Keown and then Sol Campbell were all rock-solid in the heart of defence. Of the current crop, Laurent Koscielny stands out as a reliable performer, while summer signing Shkodran Mustafi has shown potential since his move from La Liga. Nevertheless, with both players injury prone, Arsenal remain vulnerable in arguably the most important area of the pitch.

Wenger captured Rob Holding from Bolton Wanderers last summer, but that was with one eye on the future rather than the present. Holding has been called into action more than the Arsenal manager probably would have liked. With the ageing Per Mertesackar yet to make an appearance this season and Gabriel Paulista struggling to keep up to speed with the high demands of the Premier League, the Gunners could do with another world-class alternative to help marshal their defence, which has often cracked under pressure at the business end of the season.