Arsenal saw their Premier League hopes take a severe hit when they lost 2-1 at home to Watford on Tuesday night.

The Gunners were eight points behind leaders Chelsea going into their clash with the Hornets at the Emirates, yet found themselves 2-0 down after just 13 minutes thanks to goals from Younes Kaboul and Troy Deeney.

A lethargic Arsenal struggled to impose themselves on the game until the second half, and got a goal back through Alex Iwobi 13 minutes into it, but they couldn’t find an equaliser and Walter Mazzarri’s side held on for a deserved three points.

It means though that the Gunners fall nine points behind leaders Chelsea after they drew at Liverpool on Tuesday, although Arsene Wenger’s men know that it’s in their hands as they visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Nonetheless, nine points is quite a large margin to make up between now and May, and many felt that Wenger needed to strengthen in January in a bid to do just that.

Yet, despite being linked to several quality players, Arsenal didn’t bring anyone in during the winter window, and here are THREE massive deals that missed out on last month…

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.

Julian Draxler

Long-time Arsenal target Julian Draxler finally left German side Wolfsburg in January, but he didn’t move to the Emirates.

Instead, French champions Paris Saint-Germain secured a deal for the German international after he become increasingly unhappy at Wolfsburg, to the point that he actually had a poor first half of the season where he didn’t net in any of his 14 appearances for the club.

Reports at the start of December linked the 23-year-old with a move to Arsenal, mainly as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, and speculation just a few days before he signed for PSG suggested that he was in talks with the Gunners about a potential move.

Nonetheless, Draxler moved to the French capital, and has already showed Arsenal what they’re missing with two goals in his first three games for Unai Emery’s side.

Andrea Belotti

Reports in the middle of January suggested that Arsenal had failed with a £56 million bid for Torino striker Andrea Belotti which, if true, certainly demonstrated the Gunners’ intent in the window.

The Italian international, who made his debut for the national team only last year, is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe this season, having scored 14 goals in just 19 Serie A appearances, and 16 goals in 22 matches in all competitions.

He netted the opener in their 2-2 draw with AC Milan two weeks ago to demonstrate his capabilities in the big matches and, at the age of just 23, that bodes well for a very bright future in the game.

That will be one reason why Arsenal reportedly tabled a huge bid for the striker in a bid to solve their own attacking issues, given the lack of depth they have in that area, yet they were unable to get what would have been the biggest deal of the window over the line.