Mikel Arteta has stated that Arsenal are prepared to make a move in January if their roster continues to appear “exposed” as it has recently done.
Five players are sidelined for Thursday’s home match against West Ham, the outcome of which will determine whether Arsenal reclaims the Premier League lead from Liverpool.
However, Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber, Fabio Vieira, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain incapacitated, and Kai Havertz of Arsenal is out for the season due to five yellow cards.
In preparation for the current season, Arsenal spent over £200 million ($256 million, 230 million euros) on new player acquisitions at the Emirates, including the club-record £105 million signing of Declan Rice from the Hammers.
Havertz and Timber joined the England midfielder at the Emirates Stadium subsequent to Arsenal’s massive purchasing binge, which was prompted by the club’s failure to win the Premier League title despite leading for 248 days in the previous campaign.
A crammed festive fixture schedule taxing the breadth of all Premier League squads has left Arsenal manager Arteta uncertain as to when his injured quartet will return to action. The Spaniard is prepared to enhance the Gunners’ roster during the transfer window the following month.
“It is currently exceedingly challenging. “We are extremely short,” Arteta stated at a press conference on Wednesday prior to the match.
“There are positions in which we have been extremely vulnerable for the past six weeks; with any luck, we will be able to acquire players once more.” Under what circumstances and at what moment?
“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.”
Arteta further stated, “We have specific objectives in mind, plans in the event that something transpires.” Furthermore, the composition of the squad in two weeks remains uncertain, necessitating a perpetual state of readiness.
“However, it is an extremely, extremely volatile market that changes rapidly and is also quite capricious; therefore, one must be well-prepared. We will strive to be well-prepared and execute appropriate decisions.
“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.”