Arteta: Finding what we want is difficult in this market

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Mikel Arteta struck a cautious note when discussing Arsenal's January recruitment plans, emphasising that finding the right quality to improve the squad is easier said than done.

With Bukayo Saka sidelined, recent struggles against low-block defences, and the frustrating missed chances against Newcastle on Tuesday, fans are urging the club to open the chequebook and bolster the attack.

So far, potential signings have been few and far between, and Arteta seems increasingly doubtful that the conditions are right for Arsenal to make the moves they need.

Facing the media ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United, he first addressed what he’s looking for: “First of all, someone that can impact the team, bringing in bodies doesn’t help at all, it’s just about somebody that can impact immediately performance and can bring something that we don’t have, and that, in this market very, is very difficult to achieve.”

“We always have discussions with the ones above, discussing how we can improve the team, always, whether the market is open or closed, because we have to plan for what the necessities are right now and what the necessities are mid and long-term.

“The circumstances changed because we have certain injuries of some big players. So there’s always that possibility [to sign a striker], but always if we believe that it’s somebody that really is going to make us much better.”

One of the key reasons why there’s been so much clamour for the Gunners to sign players who can make an impact in the final third is because in recent years Arteta has spent the majority of his budget plugging other holes, namely in goal, defence and midfield. Basically everywhere else.

Interestingly, he wasn’t shy about pointing this out when asked if he was looking for something specific this time around.

“In the front position, comparing to what other clubs have done and the expenditure that we have there, we are very far from it [their levels] over the years.

“For different reasons, first of all, because we have already very good players and because we had many necessities in the squad to achieve in that period.

“We’re very aware [where we’ve spent money] because we have certain limitations and we have a lot of gaps and a lot of things to cover to become the team that we want. And then the availability of those players, can you afford them as well? Even if you want to. And sometimes it’s been not possible.”

So what happens if Arsenal can’t find their bargain-bucket 30-goal-a-season striker in the next three weeks? Well, as always, Arteta insists he’ll have to look at internal solutions; which sounds a bit like opening the fridge hoping to find something delicious when you know too well you’ve not been to the supermarket in a month.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” he replied when asked if he believes his players can start putting chances away.

He added: “If you look at a sample of a game or two or three, that’s a very short sample, you cannot use that.

“We don’t use any short samples because they don’t correlate to team performance. When you look at a year or two, team performance, scores, the amount of players that are involved, then there is no discussion that we have to focus on our players.”

Pressed on bigger sample sizes also suggesting Arsenal have an issue in attack, he said: “When we were the team that scored more goals in the calendar year in the Premier League, I don’t think that can be a problem.”

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