3 massive January deals Arsenal missed out on

David Alaba

Many felt that Arsenal needed to strengthen at left-back during the January window, such was Nacho Monreal’s struggles in recent times, and given that Kieran Gibbs is not a much better alternative.

Thus, one man they were linked with, and one man they should have tried to sign, was Bayern Munich’s David Alaba.

The Austrian international is widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world, which is remarkable given that he is also an accomplished centre-back and midfielder, yet that doesn’t seem to have a detrimental effect on his left-back abilities.

There was speculation back in November that Manchester United were eyeing up a £34 million move for the 24-year-old, yet there were then reports that Alaba would prefer a move to Arsenal, the team he supported as a child, should any transfer be forthcoming.

This should have alerted Wenger to his availability, as it’s clear that the Austrian is a better left-back than both Monreal and Gibbs, and Alaba would also give them another great option in the middle of the park, an area they are currently short on.

However, no deal was done for the Bayern defender last month.