Money to spend: It is thought Arsenal have £35m to spend on transfers and wages due to a legally-binding clause in their bank loan agreements to give boss Arsene Wenger 70% of all net proceeds from player sales to reinvest. If he does not spend all the cash in one window, it must be put into a Transfer Proceeds Account (TPA) used exclusively for future transfer fees or wages.
January previous: The concept of a mid-season transfer window does not sit well with Wenger – but that has never deterred him from using it to his advantage. Jose Antonio Reyes, Emmanuel Adebayor, Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott were all January arrivals and in 2009 Wenger spent £15m on Andrey Arshavin.
What they need: A striker to deputise for the injured Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner, and perhaps cover in the central defence and defensive midfield positions.
Who they might buy: Strikers Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg) and Carlton Cole (West Ham) have been linked, along with Real Madrid midfielderRafael van der Vaart. Ex-Gunners centre-back Sol Campbell is a free agent and has been training at Arsenal, former captain Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan) could return to bolster the midfield and Ajax full-back Gregory van der Wiel is a reported target.
Who might be leaving: Wenger is set to let Jack Wilshere go out on loan. Burnley have confirmed their interest but the 17-year-old says West Ham, who he supported as a boy, would be his preferred destination. Out-of-favour Philippe Senderos is likely to leave, on loan at the very least, while goalkeeper Vito Mannone has attracted interest from AC Milan, midfielder Fran Merida is stalling on a new contract and right-back Kerrea Gilbert will be allowed to depart.
What the fans say: “I do not see why Wenger needs to buy in January. We have been hit by a load of injuries but coped above what we even thought.”