Arsenal sign £80m Newcastle midfielder and £50m gem in blockbuster January transfer window prediction
Mikel Arteta could have some big decisions to make in the January transfer window, as Arsenal look to finally end their title drought
After a busy summer heralded such a departure from Arsenal’s previous Premier League campaigns, it’s was looking set to be the same old story as the last few seasons on the pitch, but Mikel Arteta’s side have now closed the gap at the top of the table to just two points behind Liverpool.
The Gunners actually have a better goal difference than any other side in the league currently, and their last-gasp 2-1 victory away to Newcastle United last weekend will give the side a huge psychological boost as they look to power their way past Liverpool to the table’s summit.
When Arsenal played Liverpool earlier this month, only an inch-perfect Dominik Szoboszlai free kick away from being separating the two sides - it was that close. But if Szoboszlai’s grandmother had wheels, she’d be a bike and despite a net spend of £246 million ahead of 2025/26, Arsenal already look in need of January reinforcements.
While Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze are still finding their feet under Arteta and could yet spark a turnaround in attack, the familiar problem of unlocking dug-in defences is already rearing its head at the Emirates Stadium.
As we move into the autumn, thought inevitably turns towards how sides may strengthen in the new year. We fired up AI tool Grok, and asked the (sometimes) helpful assistant who Arteta would bring to the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window, as the Gunners look to end their wait for another Premier League title.
Arsenal raid Premier League rivals for Mitoma and Guimaraes
Kaoru Mitoma - £50 million from Brighton & Hove Albion - Gabriel Martinelli has shown signs that this could be a potential rebound season after struggling since 2022/23 - the Brazilian has played less than three full games but has already made 20% of the goal contributions he mustered last campaign.
Mitoma has also made a strong start with a Premier League goal and assist and he could certainly help with the Gunners’ penetration problems. Mitoma made an eye-watering 7 progressive carries per game in 2023/24 and ranked in the top 5% of players in his position across Europe for that threat, and carries into the penalty area.
Likewise only a handful of players created more goals from taking on a defender or had more progressive carrying distance, and while he didn’t quite hit those heights last season, he’d still be an upgrade on the left flank.
Bruno Guimaraes - £80m from Newcastle United - A signing that would tip Newcastle fans even closer to the edge if they’re still winless in the Champions League and languishing in 13th place domestically, it would be an interesting choice for Guimaraes to make this switch.
The Brazilian would be giving up a guaranteed starting spot just six months before a World Cup where he’s expected to star for the Selecao but his tenacity would be a perfect fit at the Emirates and he’d be performing on the biggest stage.
Victor Osimhen - £90m from Galatasaray - We try to give Grok the benefit of the doubt in these articles, if nothing else in the hope that I’ll be spared when the robots take over and force humanity into subservience. But this one is a head-scratcher.
The AI identified Osimhen as backup to Gyokeres and also mentioned Ollie Watkins as a potential option for £70m but Arsenal aren’t going to sign their second or fourth most expensive player ever as a reserve.
New face Kepa quickly out the exit door
Gabriel Jesus - £40m to Juventus - Jesus’ £45m move from Manchester City is a contender to be the worst Arsenal signing of the Arteta era, but Grok believes the Spaniard will finally be set free of his albatross who would leave for Juventus. However, a suggested transfer fee of £40m seems mightily optimistic given Jesus’ struggles ahead of his contract expiring in 2027.
Kepa Arrizabalaga - £18m to Wolverhampton Wanderers - Jose Sa has had a terrible start to the Premier League season for Wolves, and it got worse in the League Cup on Tuesday when backup Sam Johnstone kept his side’s first clean sheet of the campaign, against Everton, after also replacing Sa in their last league game.
Sa has been the worst goalkeeper in the top flight, conceding four goals more than expected according to Opta via FBref.com which would have him on pace to be the worst goalkeeper in Premier League history and twice as bad as Gavin Bazunu, who’s second from bottom on that list since Opta began measuring the statistic.
It’s no exaggeration to say Wolves would not be pointless right now if they had an average goalkeeper between the sticks and Kepa just that last season for Bournemouth, conceding 0.07 goals less than xG per game. While Kepa only arrived at Arsenal in the summer, a £13m profit in the space of six months is not to be sniffed at.
AI-predicted 2026 Arsenal starting XI: Grok sticks with Arteta’s trusty 4-3-3 and gave a starting lineup of: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Mitoma.