Arsenal have some important players missing with injuries and if needed, the Gunners won’t shy away from bringing in proper reinforcements at the start of the new year.
Currently, Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Fabio Vieira and Takehiro Tomiyasu are all out injured and neither of them is expected to return to action anytime soon. There have been talks about bringing in new players during the January window and now, Mikel Arteta has admitted that the club won’t shy away from spending money – if needed.
“At the moment, it is very difficult. We are really short,” he said on Wednesday(h/t Fotmob). “We have positions that we have been very exposed for the last six weeks and hopefully we are going to get players back. In what condition and when?
“That’s a question mark and as well because we have some long-term injuries still for certain players that give us a lot of versatility and that’s an issue.
“We have certain targets, ideas if things happen. As well, we don’t know how the squad is going to look in two weeks’ time and you have to be always prepared for that.
“But it is a very, very tricky market that shifts very quickly and it is quite unpredictable as well – and you have to be prepared. We will be prepared and we will try to make the right calls.
“If there is something that we can (do to) improve the squad and that needs appear, and we cannot fulfil it with players here, we are always going to be open to do that because we want to be stronger.”
The first and most important signing for Arsenal will be that of a new centre-forward and currently, the Premier League side is being linked with players like Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen. Arsenal have refused to put Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah up for sale in January but they will still need a number nine.
Thomas Partey has been massively injury prone and Arsenal plan to get rid of him which is why they are preparing to bring in a new central midfielder as well. They spent £105 million on Declan Rice in the summer but they have to sign a new CDM because the likes of Jorginho and Partey cannot get them through until the end of this season.
The North London side have been linked with names like Douglas Luiz and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Arteta would love to have one of them on board.
If Arsenal are serious about signing players like Toney or Osimhen they have to be ready to shell out in excess of £100 million during the middle of the season and that’s something the Gunners management just won’t agree to. We have a feeling, Mikel Arteta will be given some stop-gap signings for the second half of the season and then the club will look to rebuild for the long-term during the summer transfer window.
