Arsene Wenger’s swoop for highly-rated Legia Warsaw midfielder Krystian Bielik will be welcomed by the Arsenal fans, who are keen to see the squad bolstered ahead of a tough second half of the season.
At just 17-years-old, however, Bielik is one for the future and has made just five starts for his club this season. If he does make the move to the Emirates, he looks unlikely to break straight into the first team and dislodge the likes of Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey just yet.
If Arsenal are to progress in the Champions League or to break back into the Premier League top four, Wenger must look to sign established stars that are ready to contribute to the team’s efforts straight away.
Potential
There is no doubting Bielik’s potential. Legia Warsaw are also clearly confident of his temperament, having made him the youngest player to appear in the Europa League this season when he came on as a substitute against Trabzonspor. But the Premier League will surely be too big a step up at this stage.
Having signed goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from Legia Warsaw as a 16-year-old, Wenger will be hoping for similar success with Bielik. But he will know that it will take time for him to get up to speed. You can follow his progress and keep up with other transfer and betting news at bluesq.
Consistency
Having lost two of their last six league games, including a 3-2 defeat to this weekend’s opponents, Stoke City, Arsenal must find some consistency in the New Year if they are to make a challenge for silverware.
There is no doubt that Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen and that defensive midfield is a priority area, but he should turn his attention to established stars with proven Premier League track records if he expects them to make an immediate impact.
The likes of Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko, with whom the Gunners have been linked, would be an ideal target and could make a significant improvement to the Arsenal starting 11.