'To be champions' - Arsene Wenger favourite names the one player Arsenal must sign in January

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has named the one player Mikel Arteta must bring to the Emirates Stadium to help the Gunners win trophies. Over the last three seasons, including the current campaign, Arsenal have been firmly involved in the Premier League title race but have just been pipped to silverware by Manchester City.

Though Edu was able to oversee another strong recruitment window, Arsenal and Arteta were rocked by news of his immediate departure alongside the club's mixed form. From 11 Premier League games played, the Gunners have dropped points in six of those and currently sit fourth, nine points off leaders Liverpool.

There is however, still plenty of the current season to play and making clever decisions in the January transfer window could be crucial in deciding the outcome of the title. For Man City, signing a Rodri replacement could very much be on the agenda, while the Gunners look to sign a striker.

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Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Sporting CP are both options, though it is the latter that could be on the move. Following Ruben Amorim's move to Manchester United, the 26-year-old could follow to the Premier League with Sagna, while issuing a transfer verdict, of the belief Arsenal must sign him.

“I believe Viktor Gyokeres is an amazing player and he’s clinical in front of goal," he told Paddy Power. "He would be a good addition to Arsenal because if they want to be champions, they have to extend the depth of their squad because there are so many games and injuries will be a factor.

“You don’t just need 12 or 13 players in a squad, you need at least 20 fit players at the top level to be competitive. It's unfortunate that Arsenal have received so many red cards and missed so many chances because they’ve played well but little details mean they’ve missed out on results.”

Amorim has already confirmed he will not bring any Sporting players to Old Trafford in January and with the Portuguese club's sporting director Hugo Viana set to join Man City in the summer, it could be now or never for Arsenal.

Making a huge play for Gyokeres in the winter window could not only turn Arsenal's season around, but it will also prevent rivals from signing an elite-level striker with the expectation many of them will try to do exactly that next summer.

Whether or not Arsenal can afford such a marquee deal is another matter that will likely be discussed in the meeting to be held with the Kroenke family in the United States this week.