Five players Arsenal can sign for free in January transfer window

The January transfer window is often a more reactive window than being proactive, with clubs looking to fill gaps in their squads or cover for injuries. It is not a transfer window that Arsenal are usually very busy in.

Prices in the winter can be inflated with clubs unwilling to lose key members of their squads during the season, and that can put buying clubs off. Arsenal may look to strengthen in January, but it would not be surprising to see January completely pass them by without making any signings either.

There is another use for the January transfer window, however. It can be used for clubs to speak to players in Europe over pre-contract agreements. Clubs can speak to players whose contracts are expiring in the summer to come to a pre-contract agreement with them over a free summer transfer.

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And this is something Arsenal may well do, with a number of high-profile players across Europe seeing their contracts come to an end in 2025. Here football.london takes a look at the key names.

Leroy Sane

Sane has been linked with a return to the Premier League, following a four-year spell in Germany with Bayern Munich. He spent four years at Manchester City, where he scored 25 goals in 90 appearances and has been linked with Arsenal in the past. With Raheem Sterling's loan move only for the season, Mikel Arteta may look for another wideman and Sane is one he has worked with before.

Joshua Kimmich

Another Bayern Munich player on the list - Kimmich is entering the twilight of his career, but has proven his quality time and again and with Thomas Partey and Jorginho in the final year of their contracts, defensive midfield is certainly an area Arteta will look at in the summer.

Jonathan David

Arsenal looked at a number of forward players in the summer transfer window and David's name was brought up for a potential Premier League move. Has continued to impress in Ligue Un for Lille and has 0.77 goals per 90 minutes so far this season.

Jonathan Tah

Arsenal are blessed in the central defence department with possibly the best pairing in the league with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba. But beyond those two they could do with reinforcements, and Tah would be a stellar signing.

Olivier Boscagli

Perhaps the least-well known name on this list, but another potential centre-back signing for Arteta. Boscagli is only 26 and has been an almost ever-present for a PSV Eindhoven side who have conceded just nine goals in the Eredivisie this season, topping the table with only one defeat in 12 games.