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The race for the league title in England seems to be heading only in one direction, with Manchester City strong favorites to win the league at the moment. Although the competition for the Premier League has not been close, five clubs from England are still playing for glory in the Champions League.
Every English club needs to get reinforcements to have a good chance to win the trophy, and the winter transfer window provides this opportunity to analyze and improve any weak positions. Fatigue has been a regular problem in the latter stages of the season as has been clearly evident with Barcelona in recent years. Hence, with the relative inexperience of English clubs to reach the last stages of the Champions League, managers need to be prepared for this problem by making effective buys in January.
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Let's have a look at the positions that require backup or replacements for England's top clubs, and the players that each club should try to sign:
#5 Arsenal
Positions that need strengthening - Centre-back, Central Midfielder, Attacking Midfielder
Arsenal have had a topsy-turvy start to the season, lying in fifth place in the EPL table with 5 losses and 1 draw. They have been very unconvincing at times while being fantastic in other games.
The appealing football that Arsenal is capable of playing was on show in an unfortunate loss to Manchester United last week, where they dominated proceedings. The 2-0 win against Tottenham a few weeks back was another high-profile game which provided the Gunners' fans plenty to cheer about.
But inconsistency has meant that Arsenal are definitely not among the favorites to win the league title. Although they may already be out of reckoning to win the title, Wenger needs to build a strong team for the future and a step towards that would be by making significant acquisitions in January.
The first issue to be addressed are the contracts of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, with the players looking likely to leave either in January or the summer. If the players do leave, they will definitely need replacements of the highest calibre to fill their massive voids.
Assuming the players won't leave, the positions that Arsenal need to strengthen are centre-back and central midfielder, attacking midfielder/winger.
The Gunners' defence was torn apart earlier this season in a 4-0 loss at Anfield, and defensive mistakes cost them dearly against Manchester United as well. The need for another centre-back is of utmost importance with the pairing of Koscielny and Mustafi being highly unconvincing.
Koscielny has been extremely important in the last few years holding the defence together, but with rumors suggesting that he might be looking for a move back to France, Arsenal need to replace him with a defender of the highest quality.
A ball playing centre-back would be a boon, and with rumors of an offer for Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) doing the rounds, Arsenal fans will be hoping the transfer goes through. His strengths include precise passing and tackling, which are very similar to that of Koscielny's strong attributes and hence could be a like for like replacement.
Since the era of Cesc Fabregas, the position of controlling central midfielder has never been filled successfully. Santi Cazorla's long-term injury has meant that there is no single midfielder to dominate the middle of the park.
Someone in the mould of Barca legend Xavi or Real Madrid's Toni Kroos is required, in order to regain the lost spark in midfield. Jean Michael Seri (OGC Nice) has been linked to Arsenal constantly, and with the master Xavi himself praising Seri's Barca-esque possession-based football, he is an exciting controlling midfielder that Arsenal must target.
Another player who has been perennially linked to Arsenal is Leon Goretzka (Schalke), a 6'3'' tall midfielder who has all the attributes required to flourish at Arsenal. Goretzka is a free agent next summer, so Schalke maybe be looking to sell him at a small fee in January itself.
“I did not know him and I was stunned: I haven’t seen such midfield talent for a while. [His] short game, long game, tactical intelligence, distance shooting, personality, game organisation…wow!” - Xavi on Jean Michael Seri
Another requirement for Arsenal is someone to support Sanchez and Ozil in the final third of the pitch. Ramsey has not been upto the mark this season, and Ozil has regularly been accused of disappearing in major matches. PSG's Julian Draxler has been sidelined at his club after Neymar and Mbappe's entry, and this could leave the door open for him to join Arsenal. At the age of 24, he still has his peak years ahead of him and could turn out be a worthy signing for the Gunners.
#4 Liverpool
Positions that need strengthening - Centre-back, Defensive Midfielder
The summer transfer window was extremely busy for Liverpool. The Philippe Coutinho transfer saga involving Barcelona went on until deadline day, with the player later publicly acknowledging that he wanted to join the club.
"What happened was a job offer and, in life, sometimes you get interested, sometimes you don’t, and in my case, as everybody knows, I got interested, my family too. But as I’ve always said, it’s a great honour to receive an offer from such a great club like that, but it’s also a great honour being here - Liverpool is great club worldwide." - Philippe Coutinho on his speculated Barcelona transfer
They did manage to hold on to Coutinho though, and in addition also made very fruitful buys. Mohammed Salah has been a revelation for the Reds, currently the top scorer of the Premier League. Dominic Solanke has shown promise whenever given a chance. But Jurgen Klopp has been criticized for the same reason again and again - his inability to lure a world-class defender to Anfield.
The need for a world-class defender is of utmost requirement for Liverpool at the moment. The 5-0 defeat to Manchester City highlighted the requirement ever so clearly, and recently Sevilla came back from 3-0 down after the first half to draw the game, igniting memories of the famous Crystal Palace comeback during the Suarez era. And all this has the same underlying reason to it - there is no world-class defender to marshall the defence.
Klopp plays a 4-3-3 formation in general. The centre-back pairing has been very inconsistent throughout this season, with duties being shared among Matip, Lovren, Klavan and Emre Can (naturally a defensive midfielder), and Klopp thus has not been able to figure out his go-to defensive back four. Joseph Gomez has been very impressive at right back in the absence of Nathaniel Clyne, while Alberto Moreno has not been upto the mark on a few occasions.
The transfer of Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton) to Liverpool was all but confirmed in the summer, but it fell through due to Southampton's high asking price. Another player in the same mould as Van Dijk is what Liverpool need. Van Dijk has a no-nonsense approach to his game. He has an astonishing 6.8 clearances per game this season and the previous season, and an impressive 2 tackles per game and 2.4 interceptions as well (as per WhoScored).
Stefan de Vrij (Lazio) has been linked to Liverpool, and at the age of 25 he could be their mainstay defender for years to come. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) is another defender who has been in the news with rumors suggesting his departure from Arsenal. With a lot of experience in marshalling the defence for the past few years, Liverpool could acquire an asset in Koscielny. He would be a short-term acquisition as he is already 32 but he could provide the much-needed stability that Liverpool requires at least for one or two seasons, and could be a role model for the younger defenders to learn from.
Another position of suspect is the holding midfielder, which is currently occupied by Jordan Henderson. The stats of Jordan Henderson in the Premier League this season tell the story - his tackles have reduced from 3.7 per game last season to 1.9 per game this season, his interceptions have reduced from 1.7 to 0.9 per game, and his clearances have reduced from 1.7 to 1 per game (as per WhoScored). Those stats are just not good enough for a defensive midfielder, who is expected to help the defence out a lot more.
William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon) is a Portuguese defensive midfielder who has been scouted by many of Europe's biggest clubs. He has been impressive for both his club, and the Portugal national team. An expert in breaking down attacks and still 25, Carvalho is a player that Liverpool must target.
#3 Chelsea
Positions that need strengthening - Left wingback
Antonio Conte's Chelsea have hardly been at their best this season. In the 2016/17 season, at this juncture they were placed at top of the pile. This season has not been kind to them, currently struggling with 32 points out of a possible 48, 11 points behind leaders Manchester City after Gameweek 16 with one extra game played.
Chelsea lost to Burnley at home on the opening day of the season, and further lost to last-placed Crystal Palace which were the two defeats that should have been avoided with the potential that the squad has. This weekend's loss to struggling West Ham along with the humiliating 3-0 loss to AS Roma in the Champions League is what made it clear that there is a need to sign players in the winter transfer window if they are to challenge on all possible fronts.
The summer transfer window saw the arrivals of Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta while Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa departed. Although the players who were brought in have enough potential, Conte has not been able to figure out the best eleven which has resulted in a poor start to the season.
Most positions are covered for Chelsea, with backup required only for Marco Alonso at left wingback. A busy season looms ahead, when the fixtures begin to get cramped due to the FA Cup and Champions League fixtures post January.
Players need to be given enough rest to keep them fresh, and with Marcos Alonso the only choice at left wingback in a 3-4-3 formation, it would be difficult for him to play all season long without rest. Last season was different, as Chelsea were not part of the Champions League which is a physically demanding tournament.
Alex Sandro (Juventus) was linked with Chelsea throughout the summer transfer window, but due to his incredible exploits with Juve last season, a hefty price tag of around £60 million will need to be paid. He is an instinctive defender as well as extremely able in attack, and he definitely has the capability to become the first choice ahead of Alonso at Chelsea.
Sandro would definitely be a better fit at Chelsea, and would provide them with all-important squad depth that they so badly require.
Danny Rose (Tottenham) has also been linked with a move to West London, after getting limited game time this season. He is pacy and he loves attacking on the left flank, which is different to what Alonso offers as his is a game of strength and holding onto the ball.
#2 Manchester United
Positions that need strengthening - Leftback, Central Midfielder
After finishing 6th in the Premier League last season, Manchester United's performance this season has been much more competitive. Currently in second place trailing high-flying leaders Manchester City by 11 points, United have had a decent campaign so far.
The primary reason for United's success so far has been a mean defence. They have conceded a total of 14 goals in the league and Champions League together, which is one of the least in Europe's top 5 leagues. They are 11 points ahead of where they were last season at this point, and these are signs for a bright future ahead this season.
Most of the positions for Manchester United are covered, except for another creative central midfielder and a leftback.
Paul Pogba has been on fire whenever he has started for Manchester United this season, but without him the team has lacked the spark that they need to beat stronger oppositions. Even with him in the side, Mourinho's plan against stronger sides has been to hit them on the break rather than starting attacks from the back, and this has partly been due to the lack of a creative playmaker to partner Paul Pogba.
Leon Goretzka (Schalke) has emerged as a transfer target for the Red Devils, and he could be available for a throwaway price in January. Although he is not the most creative of midfielders, he is a player who would be very useful in starting attacks as he is good at holding on to the ball and has an impressive shooting range.
Rumors linking Arsenal's Mesut Ozil have been strong in the past month as well, and this is a transfer that could very well go ahead. Ozil's signing would benefit United a lot as he fits the bill of a creative attacking midfielder. His availability in the Champions League in the knockout stages is also a factor that could entice United to make a bid.
The leftback problems for Manchester United have been well-documented since Patrice Evra's departure. Luke Shaw has not been able to pin down his position in the starting eleven due to injury problems, due to which the leftback duties have been shared by Darmian, Blind, and Young. None of them have convinced, which may result in Mourinho acquiring a leftback who can stake a place in the eleven for years to come.
Danny Rose (Tottenham) and Alex Sandro (Juventus) have been reported to be scouted by Manchester United. With a rumored £90 million available in the winter, Jose may be looking at bringing in the costlier Alex Sandro, who would be an invaluable addition to the squad.
#1 Manchester City
Positions that need strengthening - None
The times when Manchester was covered in a sea of red are long gone. Manchester City have emerged all guns blazing this season, announcing themselves as a footballing superpower. They have won 15 out of their 16 games in the league so far, equaling the record for most consecutive wins in the Premier League (14).
City has taken the footballing world by storm, and have emerged as the top favorites to win the Champions League along with PSG. They suffered their first loss against Shakhtar Donetsk this week, but it should not be too much of a worry as the game was played with a second string side.
They do not have the need of signing any players as each position has a very able backup, if not world class. The defence has been impressive - John Stones has marshalled the defence with aplomb, Kompany and Otamendi have been dependable, and a resurrected Fabian Delph and Kyle Walker have been excellent at the fullback positions.
The midfield has been singing all season with Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva stringing everything together. De Bruyne has become one of the best midfielders in the world, and Silva has continued to mesmerise with beautiful football. Guardiola's effect has been clearly visible, with slick passing and each player being aware of every other player's position. The video below shows how Guardiola has affected the team:
Scoring goals has not been a one-man job with Aguero, Jesus, Sane, and Sterling each chipping in with a significant nmber of goals and assists. Their attack is definitely among the best in the world, as they have no dearth in attacking talent at all with a backup in the talented Bernardo Silva, and one of the above mentioned is a sub as three of the aforementioned four players start a game generally.
Anyway the rumor mill is still abuzz with Manchester City news as usual due to their high transfer budget. Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) and Isco (Real Madrid) have been under the radar of Pep Guardiola according to reports. The two players would bring in world class talent and calibre, but as of now they are not really required at the club.
