‘We Need’—Mikel Arteta Makes Surprise January Transfer Window Admission

Arteta revealed his surprisingly candid stance on potential purchases and sales this winter.

Hands up if you’re worried about Arsenal’s squad depth. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Despite an extravagant outlay over the summer and amid claims of having the deepest squad in the Premier League, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted that the Gunners “need to be open” to further additions in January amid the current injury crisis.

The defining narrative around the current Premier League leaders has relentlessly pivoted around the masses of options available to Arteta. Arsenal racked up a net spend of almost £250 million ($333.6 million), the most of any club on the planet, even outstripping the famously lavish summer undergone by Liverpool—who balanced their £420 million expenditure with £230 million in sales.

Of the eight major arrivals, Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi were the only two purchases with the express intent of strengthening the starting XI. Instead, the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke were brought in to bolster Arsenal’s wide options, while Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié offer versatile defensive cover. Christian Nørgaard (defensive midfield) and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga complete the flood of sensible alternatives.

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However, this newfound strength in depth has been put to the test by a ruinous run of injuries. As recently as Wednesday night’s 2–0 victory over Brentford, Mosquera was forced off in the first half with an ankle problem, joining a bench which included the injured centre-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba, who shook his head in dismay.

Declan Rice was also forced off against the Bees while Kai Havertz remains a long-term absentee and Leandro Trossard is struggling with a thigh problem.

Rice came off early against Brentford. / Marc Atkins/Getty Images

The current state of the squad, which includes several players who have to be gently eased back from lengthy layoffs, and the prospect of more injuries to come has prompted Arteta to openly consider more reinforcements this winter. This represents a significant departure from his familiar stance of deny, deny, deny.

“We always have to be prepared,” Arteta told assembled media on Friday. “I mean, the moment that we have an option to touch the squad, to bring to the squad or to protect the squad, depending on what happens, I think we need to be open, for example, on what’s going to happen from here ‘til the window is closed as well.

“It’s football. So we don’t know, but we’re certainly going to be alert and we know where the risk can come in terms of the squad, and be ready just in case we have to do something.”

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Do Arsenal Have to Sell to Buy?

Myles Lewis-Skelly has a contract at Arsenal until 2030. / Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

Arsenal are infamously poor sellers. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s £35 million move to Liverpool in 2017 remains the club’s most lucrative departure of all time. Second on that list is Nicolas Anelka’s move to Real Madrid at the turn of the 20th century.

After racking up such a swollen net spend this summer, there will have to come a time when the books are somewhat balanced. Talk of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s potential departure, which would represent pure profit given his status as an academy graduate, has been floated with this economic reality. However, that time is not in January.

When the prospect of selling players this winter was raised, Arteta firmly replied: “At the moment, it’s very clear that there’s no option to do that.”

The manager’s reasoning was that the number of injuries has not caused any players to spend several weeks stewing on the sidelines—every warm body has been called upon and will continue to be required as the Gunners make a charge towards titles on four fronts.

“At the moment, obviously, we haven’t had a situation, as we mentioned before, that players are out of the squad for three or four weeks in a row,” Arteta reasoned. “At the moment, we know that the squad we have, we are full-framing with the players that are fit.”

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