Mikel Arteta says Arsenal must be ‘actively looking’ at signings in January window
Arsenal spent nearly £250million ($337m) on eight new players in the summer.
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal could be active during the January transfer window and that the club will be “looking” at possible signings.
Arsenal are top of the Premier League, two points clear of Manchester City after 18 games. However, Arteta’s side have been heavily affected by injuries this season, with regular starters such as Gabriel, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Odegaard all missing time.
Defenders Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera remain out with hamstring and ankle issues respectively, while Kai Havertz has not featured since Arsenal’s opening game of the season due to a knee injury. Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori both missed the 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
At his press conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa, who are only three points off top spot in third, Arteta emphasised the need for squad depth and that Arsenal’s transfer activity would depend on “the availability of certain players.”
“The window is there, I mean, we’re Arsenal and we have to be looking at it, OK, ‘What do we need?’” the Spaniard told reporters ahead of the Villa game. “And we have to be actively looking, and then if can we do it or not, that’s a different story. But our job is to be always very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully very positive.”
The winter window comes after Arsenal spent nearly £250million ($337m) on eight new players in the summer. Their outlay was behind the record £420m spent by Liverpool, though Arsenal’s net spend of £245m led the league, with the permanent sales of Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos and Albert Sambi Lokonga only bringing in small fees.
If Arsenal intend to play any new arrivals in the Champions League, their registered squad could require some reshuffling. UEFA rules dictate that teams can make up to three changes before the start of the knockout phase.
The club has registered 23 senior players for European competition and are limited to 24, instead of the maximum 25, due to only seven players being classed as ‘locally trained’ rather than the required eight, meaning only one more non-homegrown player could be registered.