What Mikel Arteta’s first five Arsenal signings tell us about his January transfer plans
Mikel Arteta’s first five signings as Arsenal manager give fans an indication of who he could target in the January transfer window.
Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League table and are looking to boost their chances of winning the trophy with some strategic signings in the January transfer window. Mikel Arteta has been at the helm since 2019, with his main goal of winning the league title elusive until now.
Under the Spaniard’s leadership, the Gunners have finished second for three consecutive seasons but are leading the charge this time.
Arteta hopes his January signings will guide the north London club to their first Premier League title since 2004. But how can we predict who the manager will target in the transfer window, and will he take inspiration from previous deals?
Here, Mirror football takes a look at Arteta’s first five signings as Arsenal manager, which could potentially hint at the Spaniard’s plans for this month.
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Pablo Mari
Pablo Mari was the first signing of the Arteta era at Arsenal, joining in a loan deal in January 2020 until the end of the season. Despite his limited appearances for the club – even after his contract was made permanent that summer – his versatility demonstrated exactly what the boss was aiming for at the club.
Mari joined as a left-footed centre-half and was seen as the player who “balanced” the backline under Arteta. At the time of his signing, the Arsenal boss said: “For me he is very important, he balances what I want to do from the back line.
“It gives us more options, more solutions and opens up the field more. He’s a player we’ve been following in recent months and we’re really happy to have him.” After managing just 22 outings in an Arsenal shirt, Mari left for Serie A side Monza following a successful loan spell in 2023.
Cedric
Next came full-back Cedric, who also arrived at Arsenal on loan in January 2020. The defender was seen as the club’s answer to their right-back situation and could also operate at left-back and right midfield.
At that time, knocks against Hector Bellerin and Calum Chambers meant defensive midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles covered the club’s right-back, and Arteta wanted a player better suited to that role.
Speaking about Cedric, he said: “He is a player who has great experience. He has played in different countries, he has played in this league, he knows what that means.
“He is very willing to go to another big club, and he has that desire, that commitment. I followed him a few seasons ago. I started following him and I really like what he can bring. It was also the right conditions for us to try to improve the team.”
The defender has made 64 appearances for the club and has been heavily in demand during the 2021/22 campaign. While Cedric spent most of his Arsenal career at right-back, he also featured 10 times at left-back and six times in midfield, demonstrating the qualities of adaptability that Arteta valued in his players.
Alex Runarsson
Although Alex Runarsson’s time with Arsenal is hardly memorable, it illustrates a key principle of Arteta’s champions when it comes to positional competition. The goalkeeper only managed six outings for the Gunners and was not particularly popular with supporters.
His Arsenal appearances included just one 15-minute substitute appearance in the Premier League in a 2–1 defeat to Wolves after regular goalkeeper Bernd Leno was given his marching orders.
Runarsson’s adventure in north London may not have been particularly triumphant, but Arteta’s emphasis on competition between players strongly suggests he values ​​the squad’s depth and wants his players to fight for their place in the first team.
Willien
Willian moved from west to north London in the summer of 2020 when he joined Arsenal from Chelsea as a free agent. A seasoned Premier League champion and versatile operator on the offensive line, he looked like the ideal signing for Arteta’s side.
However, after 37 outings that saw him earn one goal and seven assists, the Brazilian failed to live up to expectations at the Emirates Stadium. Yet Arteta initially spoke enthusiastically about the winger’s arrival at Arsenal, explaining precisely what he expected from Willian.
Arteta said: “I think he’s a player who can really make a difference for us. We’ve been monitoring him for a few months, we clearly intended to strengthen in the attacking midfielder and winger positions.
“He is a player who gives us a lot of versatility, he can play in three or four different positions. He has experience of everything in the world of football, but he still has the ambition to come here and help take the club to where it is.”
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel’s arrival in 2020 marked a significant transformation in Arsenal’s defensive stability. The centre-back constitutes the biggest success story of all these signings, remaining a guaranteed starter under Arteta to this day.
Since joining the Gunners, the defender has made 230 appearances in all competitions and scored 24 goals, including four this campaign in the club’s quest for the Premier League crown.
Gabriel plays a crucial role in anchoring one of the strongest defenses the league has seen in recent years and embodies everything Arteta desires in his backline – powerful, reliable and possessing a knack for scoring from dead balls.
Supporters can take inspiration from these signings by expecting that Arteta will look for adaptability and consistency in his January transfer targets, as well as the ability to generate competition for places in the team.
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