Gary Neville has encouraged Arsenal’s board to tread carefully in the January transfer market and says the addition of new first-teamers could ‘upset’ some of the players who have helped them to the top of the Premier League table.
The Gunners will be in first place at Christmas after finishing the first part of the season with 12 wins and just one defeat, giving them a five-point advantage over defending champions Manchester City ahead of the World Cup break.
Arsenal have been heavily linked with moves for a new midfielder and winger in January – with Palmeiras’ Danilo and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk the two main names in the frame – but Neville feels it could be a risk.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, he explained: ‘You ask the question now: would Arsenal strengthen in January? What risk does that bring? Do you strengthen to boost the squad or do you strengthen to actually boost the first XI?
‘If you strengthen to boost the first XI do you upset one of the players or two of the players that are in there?
‘And that’s the sort of conundrum that will be going through the Arsenal board’s mind at this moment in time.
‘Because I’m not quite sure any of the other clubs will do that. I’m not sure City will do business to be honest with you, I’m not sure any of the other clubs at the top will do business. There is a sense that Arsenal may do in midfield.’
Despite praising Arsenal, Neville still is not convinced by their title credentials, continuing: ‘I don’t think they’ll win the title, I think City will. I do think they will get into the top four. But I do think it will be interesting, come sort of February and March, where they end up.
‘Because I still think there will be an element of them still having to prove themselves. I’ll say it time and time again until they show me different.
‘But what they’re demonstrating to me at this moment in time is that they’re the best team in the league, the most consistent team in the league.
‘And from where they were at the end of last season, well done to Mikel Arteta. It’s a brilliant job that they’ve done. The recruitment has been fantastic.
‘Well done to the club for holding their nerve through a difficult moment where they could have easily put more pressure on Mikel, other managers may have lost their job, he’s been there for three years.
‘They held their nerve on recruitment, held their nerve with the manager, they’ve got the right players in and all of a sudden it just looks like it’s knitted together.’
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