With the January transfer window now open, Paul Merson gives his thoughts on whether Arsenal need a striker, Trent Alexander-Arnold's future at Liverpool and why Manchester City need a replacement for Rodri.
Despite Gabriel Jesus' goals in recent weeks, the Sky Sports pundit says Newcastle's Alexander Isak would “take Arsenal to the next level”.
Premier League leaders Liverpool also continue to face questions over the contracts of Alexander-Arnold – who is attracting interest from Real Madrid – Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
Meanwhile, could Manchester City still save their season by signing a midfielder to fill the void left by the injured Rodri?
Read on for Merson's thoughts on what could unfold in the transfer window next month…
'Arsenal must break the bank for Isak'
If I were Arsenal and had the money, I would go and buy [Alexander] Isaac. I would break the bank for him. He is the best of the best and takes Arsenal to another level.
What I like about Jesus is that he rejoined the team and said, 'This time I'm going to stand in the penalty area and score goals. If I want to stay in this team I have to score goals' and that's what he has done. The goal against Brentford was a real poacher's goal and it's rare that we see him in the six-yard box heading them in.
With Kai Havertz coming back too, it pushes him back into midfield, but as a striker Havertz will of course get into the penalty area and there's an extra body in there.
If Jesus can keep doing what he's doing, they don't have to [bring in a striker]. But looking at the big picture and also looking at next season, if they can get Isak, who I think is the best in the business at the moment, I think that would be a huge coup for Arsenal.
'Trent is coming to Real, but I would be shocked if that happens in January'
£20 million in football terms is a cup of tea. In the Premier League it is hardly a thing. You have to keep him. He is a special player, let's make the most of keeping an eye on him over the next four or five months.
His range of passing is second to none, we have to enjoy him. He certainly won't want to go to Real Madrid at the moment.
Liverpool have an incredible chance to win the Premier League. They did it in 2020 when De Kop was not full and there was no one there. Who wouldn't want them to win the league this season, unless you're a Man Utd or Arsenal fan?
I don't know if anyone has ever rejected Real Madrid. It's just a special club, it's not going down. Liverpool have a much better chance of winning the Champions League this season, but if they get him, they have an incredible talent.
He will be at Real Madrid [next season]. I don't see anything other than Real Madrid. If you look at your contract for the last six months, the amount he lost because he didn't sign a new contract with higher wages.
I don't see it happening, but I would be extremely shocked if it did happen in January.
'It is criminal to let the contracts of your three best players expire within six months'
I think Trent, Van Dijk and Salah have all been an absolute credit if I'm honest.
I think it's criminal if their contract is reduced to six months, how does that ever happen in football. The fact that the contracts of three of your best players all expire within six months is actually unheard of.
I can't remember anywhere else where you've had three top, top, top players whose contracts expired. If they could keep two of the three, they would have achieved the greatest result ever. I thought they were going to lose all three.
If Trent goes, but they can keep Van Dijk and Salah, I think they will have achieved the greatest result ever. But if Liverpool are in that position, as I say, in football, it is criminal.
'Man City must prioritize Rodri's replacement'
Man City should probably go into the market in January and sign someone because at the moment I don't think they will challenge for the top four with the team they have.
Their priority should be defensive midfield, a midfield player. Rodri is greatly missed. I know people say, “It's not just him,” but personally, I do too. I think it's up to him. It's that simple.
If you drive a Ferrari or Rolls Royce and put diesel in it, it's not going anywhere. It doesn't matter how good you are, how good the car is and how great it is, if you don't have the thing that makes it work in the engine, it won't work and that has been proven with Rodri.
They are so open and the problem with Rodri is that he sees danger. How often do you see Man City being attacked now and they are everywhere? It didn't happen with Rodri.
He typed it through. Those little five, ten meter long balls through the lines [Bernardo] Silva, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne, that's not happening now. They don't get the ball that fast and if you don't get the ball that fast, everything gets closer.
Those players need time and space and when they do, they will absolutely destroy you. But right now they're not getting that because the ball isn't moving through the lines fast enough. The defense is also everywhere, they don't have that protection.
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