Arteta says Arsenal "lack options", admits consulting players on targets
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Mikel Arteta has reiterated Arsenal's need to strengthen their attacking options this month but stressed that any resolution doesn't solely depend on the club.
With Gabriel Jesus sidelined by a long-term knee injury and Bukayo Saka nursing a hamstring problem, the Gunners heavily rely on their remaining forwards to play every three days.
As Arsenal battles for the Premier League title and aims to go deep in the Champions League, it's a situation that feels unsustainable – or at the very least, fraught with risk. Unsurprisingly, the club has been linked with moves for a host of strikers, most notably RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Wolves' Matheus Cunha.
It sounds like the former is staying put in Germany while the latter is currently discussing a new contract at Molineux. As the clock ticks on the window, the pressure is on for interim Sporting Director Jason Ayto.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Wolves, Arteta was asked whether he, like everyone else in football, thinks it’s essential he adds to his forward line. The Spaniard didn’t take too kindly to the initial wording of the question, replying, “Have I ever said no to a striker?”
When he eventually understood what was being asked, he continued:
“My opinion is clear, we lost two very, very important players, Bukayo Saka and Gabi Jesus. So we lack goals, we lack people, we lack options in the front line, it is clear.
“If we can get the right player, that is what we are actively looking at. Any player? No. Someone that makes us better and has an impact on the team.
“It is clear that for the period that we have lost them, ideally, we need some help because we are very short already and we are even shorter. But the team still copes with that. But we have to do what is right for the club.”
Asked how he’d feel if the window closed without adding a player, he continued: “That is an option because it doesn’t depend on us. It doesn’t depend just on Arsenal or Mikel or our will. It depends on the market and many other factors.”
Arteta went on to confirm that targets had been identified and that work was going on behind the scenes.
He also dismissed suggestions that one of his two Premier League loanees – Neto and Raheem Sterling – would be returned to their parent club to make room for another temporary domestic signing.
In recent January windows, Arsenal has turned to experienced players to fill gaps—most notably Leandro Trossard and Jorginho. However, with the squad’s age profile on the rise, it’s been suggested that Arteta’s squad can’t absorb any more older profiles.
Arteta denied that. “Yes, it can, because I think you need to find the right chemistry and the right balance in the squad.
“That goes with age, that goes with personalities, that goes with characters. That goes with different skill sets to adapt to very different demands that the game can throw at us. So I think the squad is in a good place.”
He also admitted that he discusses potential signings with his existing players to get a complete picture of the individuals involved.
“Especially if they know them, because that’s getting away from the computer and what the data is saying, and it’s real,” he said.
“I’ve seen it, I sense it. A player can score a lot of goals, great. So how this player acted when he hasn’t scored for six, seven games? This is what I’m interested in.
“Watch an interview of a player that hasn’t scored for six games. And then what kind of goals does he score? Against which teams, in what context? The first half, the second half? Is it only right foot, is it only head? Is it only in open spaces? Does he like the physical contact of this league? It’s a lot of things.
“So when you have a player that has spent a lot of days with him, that’s really valuable information to have.”
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