01 February 2023 , 05:15
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The January transfer window has now closed and Arsenal proved their flexibility on a fascinating deadline day.
The Gunners entered the month leading the Premier League table and remain in that position, five points ahead of Manchester City with a game in hand. This time last year, Mikel Arteta was bemoaning a frustrating final few days in the market after several high-profile moves fell through.
And while a blockbuster move for Brighton ’s Moises Caicedo didn’t end up being completed, Arteta can be very happy with their month’s work. The Spaniard went into the window, looking for extra depth within his squad after that issue cost them a top-four berth last season.
Arteta was adamant that the squad wouldn’t be weakened ahead of their bid to win the title for almost 20 years - and that objective was completed with three shrewd arrivals.
Mirror Football takes a look at all of the deals completed at the Emirates and where they stand going into the second half of the season.
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INS
Arsenal acted quickly when it became clear that Leandro Trossard wanted out at Brighton. The Belgian had a very public falling out with Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi and was made available for transfer.
“He is a versatile player with high technical ability, intelligence and a great deal of experience in the Premier League and at international level,” Arteta said after the £27m deal was completed.
Leandro Trossard has already made his debut for Arsenal following his transfer from BrightonTrossard was also quick to point out the fact that he was able to play in a number of roles and arrives in north London with a handy knack for scoring goals. He should be able to hit the ground running.
Jakub Kiwior was a name unknown to many before the start of the month, but adds more options at the heart of Arsenal’s defence. At £17.5m, Kiwior is a player that the Gunners had been tracking for a considerable amount of time and is another that gives Arteta more flexibility in the title run-in.
Their final arrival was probably the most divisive, with Jorginho arriving in a deadline day move from Chelsea. For much of the month, Arteta and Edu had focused on Caicedo, but as that deal became increasingly difficult to get over the line, they quickly pivoted.
Jorginho completed his move from Chelsea on deadline day (Getty Images)Arsenal managed to get an experienced winner at both club and international level for a relative snip at £12m. His arrival will ease concerns about an injury in the final months of the campaign.
All in all, while there wasn't necessarily a marquee signing, Arsenal did what they needed. Their squad is now considerably stronger. The only area they decided to not improve was at centre forward and that decision was down to Eddie Nketiah’s fine form since replacing Gabriel Jesus.
OUTS
The big question mark in terms of outgoings surrounded Cedric Soares and whether he would get his move away. The Portuguese is now surplus to requirements with Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu both ahead of him in the pecking order.
And for much of deadline day, it looked like Cedric would be left frustrated. But in the final hours, Fulham managed to sort the details out for him to make the move across the capital until the summer.
Marquinhos has signed for Championship side Norwich City (Getty Images)With the signing of Trossard, opportunities for exciting youngster Marquinhos were likely to be very limited. And while Granit Xhaka previously suggested he was ready for the first team, a move to Norwich City in the Championship should do plenty for his development.
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Similarly, as soon as Jorginho signed on the dotted line, Arsenal needed to find a place for Albert Sambi Lokonga to get regular Premier League football. And who better to learn under than Patrick Vieira at Crystal Palace? It’s a big few months for the Belgian, who hasn’t really looked up to the level needed yet.
Elsewhere, there was the usual slew of youngsters sent out to the football league, including Miguel Azeez and Omar Rekik both heading to Wigan Athletic, who are battling against relegation from the Championship.
FULL LIST OF ARSENAL INCOMINGS AND OUTGOINGS
IN: Leandro Trossard (Brighton, £27m), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia, £21m), Jorginho (Chelsea, £12m).
OUTS: Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry, Loan), Miguel Azeez (Wigan, loan), Tom Smith (Colchester, loan) Marquinhos (Norwich, loan), Omar Rekik (Wigan, loan), Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (Accrington Stanley, loan), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Crystal Palace, loan) Cedric (Fulham, loan).