Arsenal

Arsenal

Premier League • England

Arsenal plotting move for experienced LaLiga star in bid to add major midfield depth

Ben Stewart
William Carvalho (R) of Real Betis and Saul Niguez (L) of Atletico de Madrid seen in action during the La Liga Santander

Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster Arsenal’s midfield options in January and William Carvalho is someone they have their eye on.

Arsenal have enjoyed a spectacular start to the 2022-23 campaign so far. They currently top the Premier League and have already collected 37 points from 14 matches.

Arteta is well aware of his best 11 and has a settled first team at this moment in time. With that being said, Arsenal are still keen on adding further depth to remain competitive.

Their interest in Mykhailo Mudryk has been well-documented and they are also keen on strengthening their midfield.

Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka have formed the base of Arsenal’s midfield this season. The pair work together well, but it is no secret that the Gunners do lack depth in this area.

Partey himself is no stranger to injuries and so it would be wise for Arsenal to invest in a suitable back-up option. The likes of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny are the current back-up options at Arteta’s disposal.

Arsenal interested in William Carvalho

According to reports from Spain, Arsenal are keeping their eye on Real Betis midfielder Carvalho.

The report from Spanish outlet fichajes.net claims that the Portuguese midfielder is currently on Arsenal’s radar. Carvalho will be at the World Cup with Portugal and is now a seasoned pro at 30 years of age.

The midfielder has spent the last five years with Real Betis in Spain, but has often been linked with a Premier League move.

Carvalho averages 1.2 tackles per game and is best known for his defensive attributes.

This season he has started in 12 of Real Betis’ 14 La Liga matches and has been as reliable as ever for the Spanish side. With a pass completion rate of 86.2% he also tends to keep things tidy on the ball.

January window is big for Arsenal

Given they are currently at the top of the Premier League, the January window is a massive opportunity for Arsenal to further strengthen their squad.

This season Arsenal have used 23 players in the Premier League, but Arteta has regularly used the same starting 11.

Time will tell if the international break will throw Arsenal off their side, but they are currently on a fantastic run.

They have averaged 2.64 points per game so far this season and are currently projected to finish with 100 points.

Arsenal’s board have proven to be more than willing to back Arteta in the previous transfer windows. In the summer they spent over £100million on the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Gunners find themselves in a terrific position and they would be foolish to not capitalise on their situation.

Manchester City will be hot on their heels in the second half of the season, but Arsenal have proven themselves to be a worthy contender so far.

READ MORE: Newcastle to clash with Liverpool, Arsenal over star attacker after PIF January objectives emerge