'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAoNWE/8QAHhAAAQMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEEBQADBzERMlL/2gAIAQEAAT8Av5DOSz5HQrmGZG1EDZGZ912SFR2YVDLmCa79LX//xAAXEQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIR/9oACAECAQE/AKWH/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAwEBPwB//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former Arsenal defender Lauren believes that Mikel Arteta should focus less on bringing in new faces in the winter transfer window to avoid disrupting his team's current rhythm.
The Gunners are currently atop the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 37 points from 14 games, five points ahead of Manchester City.
Operating in an offensive 4-2-3-1 setup, Arsenal have turned a lot of heads this season, dropping points in just two league games. The north London outfit, who finished fifth last campaign, have registered statement victories against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking to the Mirror, Lauren insisted that Arteta should prioritize encouraging his existing players over thinking about new additions. He said:
"Rather than think about which players we need to strengthen, we have to keep this momentum. Keep encouraging the players because the difference from this squad to last year is the fact that we can maintain the consistency in the 90 minutes and over two, three or four consecutive games."
Lauren, who lifted two Premier League titles during his time at Arsenal, stated that his former team could put up a serious title charge. He added:
"We haven't seen that for a long time, so the fact that the team at the moment is playing with that kind of confidence, I don't think we have to think about who can come in in the window. If we can keep this level of performance until the end of January, I believe that we can be considered seriously and fight for the title."
Lauding the Gunners' recent improvement, Lauren said:
"I'm not saying they'd disrupt the momentum, but from what we can see on the outside, the confidence is high. We have to maintain this and provide everything that this squad needs in order to keep this kind of confidence, because the team is playing fantastic football. Everyone in the squad knows what to do."
According to GOAL, Arsenal are set to delve deep into the transfer market in January. The likes of Youri Tielemans, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Cody Gakpo, Marcus Thuram, Wilfried Zaha, Nabil Fekir, Jasper Lindstrom and Facundo Torres have been linked with the Gunners.
Manchester United join Arsenal in monitoring 21-year-old in-demand forward
According to The Sun, Manchester United have joined Arsenal in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk forward Mykhaylo Mudryk. However, the player is expected to be slapped with a hefty price tag.
Mudryk, 21, has emerged as one of the most exciting offensive talents in Europe this campaign with his electric performances on the left flank. So far, the Ukraine international has netted eight goals and laid out as many assists in 16 overall games this campaign.
A pacy dribbler blessed with flair and directness, Mudryk is also on the radar of many other teams. They include Liverpool (via Calciomercato), Paris Saint-Germain (via Le10Sport), Newcastle United, Sevilla, Ajax, and Bayer Leverkusen (via Ben Jacobs).
