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Arsenal are not a club who have tended not to do much business in the January transfer window.

Certainly under Arsene Wenger's watch, the north London club tended to get most of their business done during the summer, although last year Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived in the first month of 2018 and the swap deal with Manchester United was struck that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez trade places.

The Gunners were busy again in the summer, however, with head of recruitment Sven Mislintat bringing five new additions in to work with head coach Unai Emery, who had just replaced Wenger at the Emirates.

So this coming January was expected to be a quiet one, with head of football Raul Sanllehi openly admitting that he was not a fan of doing his shopping at the start of the new year.

“I don't believe much in the winter window," said the Spaniard. "If you have the right plan in the summer and the team are performing at the level you expect, you should not go to that window or try to avoid it."

(Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))

Those comments had plenty of Arsenal feeling like the club would stick with what they had in January, but when you look at what else Sanllehi had to say, it suggests that the Gunners could well look to get business done.

And that's because Barcelona's former director of football admitted there were exceptions to his rule - specifically citing a big injury to a player.

“It's there for emergencies," continued Sanllehi. "A big injury or if something is really not working and you need to recover there."

And given what happened to Danny Welbeck during the Europa League stalemate with Sporting CP, those words could now be very important ones.

Arsenal were short of striking options before Welbeck broke his ankle, now they are looking particularly threadbare and are totally reliant on the fitness of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

So if they want to keep up the momentum they have amassed during the early part of the season, they may be forced to enter the market in January to give Unai Emery the best tools available to secure qualification to the Champions League.

“We have a full team of professionals looking into the market, analysing the possibilities and the players,” said Sanllehi.

“The head coach embraces the philosophy we have and the way we want to play. If we see an opportunity, there is a healthy debate.

“Every decision we make involves all the experts at the club and we will always make the right decisions for the long-term benefit of the club.”

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