Four players set for Arsenal January exit amid Mikel Arteta and Edu £80m plans

Despite their good start to the season which has seen them top the Premier League table, take wins over top four rivals and lose just one of their first 13 in the Premier League, it's strange that many are not seeing Arsenal as a bigger threat.

Of course, they're still well in with a chance of winning their first Premier League title in 20 years but they're not seen as dangerous as they were last season. Whether it's due to the slip up late in the season or not is unclear but it's true that this campaign promises to be an even closer race - one that could potentially go down to the wire.

That means that the Gunners must look to bolster their ranks for the second half of the season in order to make sure they have the best chance of being the ones on top when it comes to the end of May. Having already been struck by injury issues throughout the early part of the season, there are obvious places where they can improve their squad.

But manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu must start to drum up funds for those stars they want to bring in - and that means letting go of others. With that being said, here are four stars that could leave the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window...

Aaron Ramsdale

After the arrival of David Raya from Brentford on loan, Arteta has refused to publicly announce his plans for Ramsdale - a move that has been questioned heavily by supporters and the media alike. Despite having arguably the best year of his career last year, with appearances for England sprinkled in, it remains a mystery why the Gunners boss was so desperate to have 'two No.1' goalkeepers.

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Even after his clean sheet against the Bees in November, Arteta was quick to put the star down, noting it was a team performance when asked if he was happy with Ramsdale for keeping a clean sheet. He told TNT Sports: "I’m so happy with the way the team performed, I’m really happy with the clean sheet. I think the team was exceptional."

It'd be no surprise to see the star make his exit from the Emirates Stadium quickly if his minutes don't go up before the window opens, with teams across Europe no doubt keeping an eye on the situation. Having arrived from Sheffield Untied for £24million, it's easy to assume that Arsenal won't want to let him go for a loss and he's likely to fetch a decent price.

Thomas Partey

Having only played five times this season in all competitions, Partey could be sold off in January for around a reported fee of £30million in order to drum up funds for the war chest as the Gunners look to bolster Arteta's squad for the second half of the season.

It's believed they're already eyeing up Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz as a potential replacement after his stellar performances so far this campaign have propelled Unai Emery's side into the top four. The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the first names on the Villa teamsheet having already netted five goals and provided a further two assists in the league.

Kieran Tierney

Despite a recent hamstring injury hampering his involvement for Real Sociedad on loan, the Scottish international has been impressing over in La Liga. Good performances against Granada CF and Valencia have seen the star receive plaudits for his play out in Spain, but could see a move back to Scotland in the near future.

Reports suggest that a deal could be struck to send him back to boyhood club Celtic, with the star having arrived from the Scottish champions back in 2019 for £25million. With his loan running out at the end of the campaign, it's possible he could see an early exit due to his injury.

Jorginho

As he struggled to make any kind of impact under Mikel Arteta since leaving Chelsea, midfielder Jorginho could see an exit from the Gunners in January. It's believed that the club are set to field bids for the star over the winter from Turkish side Fenerbahçe after the signing of Declan Rice has often led to him making appearances from the bench.

While the veteran does have a one-year extension option built into his contract, which runs out in the summer, it's possible he could get a move either in the summer or much sooner over the winter if the right offer comes in for him.

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