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Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that Arsenal are interested in signing Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella in the January transfer window.
The Gunners are lacking firepower up top and have scored the fewest goals among the top five Premier League sides (37). However, it is believed that Mikel Arteta is still looking to prioritize defensive reinforcements.
Oleksandr Zinchenko's injury concerns, coupled with Takehiro Tomiyasu's AFC Asian Cup departure, has left Arsenal short in the left-back position. Polish central defender Jakub Kiwior has had to fill in, and even did so in the north Londoners' recent 2-0 FA Cup defeat against Liverpool on Sunday (January 7).
Linking the Blues defender with a move to the Emirates, Phillips said (via The Boot Room):
"I’m still hearing that the most likely scenario is that we wait until the summer to sign a new left back, but something could develop with Marc Cucurella. I’ve heard some whispers last week of a potential move to Arsenal bubbling up, nothing solid yet.
“But the problem is his injury, so that could make any move this month difficult. Chelsea are open to selling him now, and he will definitely be up for sale in the summer.”
The issue for Arteta is that Cucurella himself is nursing an ankle injury that could see him return only in March. He's made 12 appearances for Chelsea across competitions this season and is yet to bag a goal contribution.
Given the 25-year-old, who last appeared in the Blues 2-0 defeat to Everton on December 10 is injured, it is unlikely that Arteta would move for him this month.
Arsenal boss reacts to poor conversion rate after Liverpool defeat
Arsenal went down against Liverpool in their third-round FA Cup showdown after failing to convert several chances. The Gunners' poor run in front of goal continues, having scored just two in their last four matches across competitions.
Their form in front of goal has also seen the north Londoners lose three consecutive matches across competitions. Addressing these issues, Mikel Arteta said after the match (via The Guardian):
“I haven’t seen a team in the past six months that has generated what we have done against Liverpool in the last two games [including the 1-1 league draw at Anfield on December 23]. We haven’t capitalized. Not just today but in the last few games as well."
Arsenal managed 31 attempts across the two recent fixtures against Liverpool, both of which were two weeks apart. They also registered 30 shots during the 2-0 loss to West Ham United on December 28.
