Despite attracting some criticism for their January transfer window Arsenal remain in a strong position heading into the summer. Having signed Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day - which was a comedown for some that were hopeful of a late swoop for Moises Caicedo - the Gunners ended with three new additions.
On top of Jakub Kiwior and Leandro Trossard it was a shrewd window rather than a headline grabbing one for Mikel Arteta's men. That is often the sign of a settled ship though. The 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park just days later may not have helped the unease for some but the wider picture is still a positive one.
The flip side to their winter actions is that they didn't panic buy, were opportunistic and were able to secure three players for relatively low fees, addressing the problem areas in their squad in risk-free manor. With a title charge on the cards though there was perhaps an expectation to show more ambition mid-season to strike whilst the iron is hot.
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Five points clear at the top and with a game in hand, the onus is not on Arsenal, but their competitors, at this stage of the season. With Champions League football already looking secure and the ambitions of the club going beyond that achievement there is a sense of optimism that the summer could bare the fruits of a successful season.
When it comes to winning the league or merely finishing in the top four it is unlikely to make that much difference when it comes to high profile incomings. Arsenal have already shown their quality and the direction of travel, with or without a title to show off they have become more attractive than this time six months ago, even.
That is set to be of a massive boost too. When it comes to signings the Gunners are still thought to be targeting a new midfielder. Jorginho, 31, is on a short-term deal and there is a chance that Mohamed Elneny may have played his last game for the club. Thomas Partey is still an injury concern.
This is why the club pursued Youri Tielemans so strongly last year. The Belgian is just 25 and out of contract in July with his next destination uncertain. Arsenal were extremely keen on him and were hopeful of securing a cut-price move for the Foxes player but couldn't reach an agreement.
He is still yet to sign an extension at the King Power Stadium and Leicester are having a poor season too, making remaining at the club a less attractive proposition, especially for a player gaining the attention Tielemans is. Whilst football.london understands he wasn't pursued readily in January Arsenal are expected to be back in the mix for him in six months time.
This has been added to by CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, who writes: “Come the summer, if Tielemans is available on a free transfer, there’ll be a variety of clubs looking at him.
“Arsenal will still be there for sure and we know that Tielemans very much wanted that move a year ago and was hopeful that something might come off throughout the summer, but Arsenal moved in a different direction.”
With Arsenal still looking at midfield options, Tielemans sold on the project and a free deal in the pipeline it would be remarkable if more talks didn't ensue in the near future.
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