Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal are very active ahead of January

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that the club are ‘very active’ in the pursuit of new signings ahead of the January transfer window.

The Gunners have performed above expectations during the current Premier League season and they are deservedly top of the table, five points ahead of Manchester City.

Despite the handy lead, Pep Guardiola’s side continue to remain favourites to lift the title for a third straight year and the onus is on Arteta’s men to defy the odds this season.

For this to happen, the club need more quality and depth in the squad. The attack could be a key area of focus, particularly after the news of Gabriel Jesus undergoing a knee surgery.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Arteta confirmed that the club are very active in the search for players and opened the door for potential signings that can strengthen the team.

He said via Goal.com: “We are looking and we are very active looking at the possibilities. If we can find the players that can strengthen the team we will try.”

Arsenal must avoid repeat of January 2022

Arteta delivered a similar kind of message before the 2022 winter transfer window, but the Gunners ended up without a signing after failing to land their top striker target.

Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic was heavily linked with a transfer, but the Serbian chose to join Juventus instead. The Gunners decided against pursuing an alternate option.

This proved costly in the end as the Gunners missed out on the top four by just two points. In our view, the club must avoid a similar kind of strategy ahead of the New Year.

This time around, the club are in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League but they also have a brilliant opportunity to end their 19-year wait for the title.

A new marquee striker/forward should be considered as top priority. A holding midfielder should also be pursued due to Thomas Partey’s injury record at the club.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com