Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has announced that the Premier League leaders will be “actively looking” to strengthen their squad during the upcoming January transfer window.
The Gunners may be without up to four defenders for their crucial match against Aston Villa at the Emirates on Tuesday.
Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, and Cristhian Mosquera were all absent during Arsenal’s recent narrow victory over Brighton, which kept them two points ahead of title rivals Manchester City at the top of the table.
Arsenal invested over £250 million (A$500 million) on eight new players during the summer transfer window, and Arteta is open to further acquisitions next month.
Arteta stated, “The window is there and I mean we are Arsenal and we have to be looking at it – ‘Okay, what do we need?’ And we have to be actively looking and then, whether we can do it or not, that’s a different story.” He emphasized the club's ambition to win the title for the first time since 2004.
He added, “But our job is to always be very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully it’ll be very positive.” Arteta noted that while Arsenal has faced more injuries than anticipated, having the right player availability is crucial for the season.
Aston Villa recently ended Arsenal’s 11-match unbeaten streak in the league with a last-minute 2-1 victory on December 6. The Birmingham club is entering Tuesday’s match after achieving a club record of 11 consecutive wins in all competitions, and a victory would bring them level on points with Arsenal.
When asked about Villa's title aspirations under manager Unai Emery, a former Arsenal boss, Arteta acknowledged their strong performance, stating, “They are meant to be there when you look at what they are doing and how consistent they have been.”
Arteta expressed confidence in his team's ability to perform at home, saying, “But every opponent that comes here, we want them to suffer, and be as dominant as we were against Brighton for the majority of the game.”
He also mentioned plans to analyze their previous match against Villa to improve their performance, adding, “It was quite cruel on us, the way we lost it, but we have learned from it and we can use that as motivation and hunger in the right manner.”
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