Declan Rice a colossus and Arsenal top at Christmas but three January signings could ensure Premier League title glory

If Arsenal add a striker and central midfielder to their squad in January, will they kick on and end their 20-year search for a Premier League title?

Who knows? Nothing is ever guaranteed, especially if Manchester City embark on their traditional late winter to spring winning streak.

But, making those two moves would improve the Gunners’ prospects, even if it’s just by a little, so I’m hopeful (rather than optimistic) that Mikel Arteta and Edu get busy in the next few weeks to make it happen.

Funds are tight we’re told, so any transfer manoeuvring will need to be creative. In essence that means two or three players may have to leave for those game changers to come in and make the difference.

While I believe a striker is the biggest ‘need’ for Arsenal, I sense they will target a central midfielder first.

Is Thomas Partey going to stay? Is he going to be fit? Those two questions will need answering before a call is made, but if there is sufficient doubt over the Ghanaian’s future at Emirates Stadium then it’s essential a replacement is lined up.

Declan Rice has been a colossus, but outside of him and Jorginho the Gunners are light. With Arsenal’s central defender options shrunk by injuries to Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu too, Rice could be needed as an emergency centre back at some point, so more depth in midfield is required.

Arteta would also love the option of using Rice as a box-to-box man in certain games, so a classy sitting midfielder would be ideal.

I’m a fan of Fulham’s Joao Palhinha. I think he can make the step up without fuss, and as Arteta has discovered with Rice, Trossard and White, paying a premium for Premier League experience is usually worth it.

The current mood music suggests Real Sociedad’s Martin