It's no secret that Arsenal want to strengthen in the January transfer window. Having opened up an eight point lead at the top of the Premier League the Gunners are primed to push for their first title since 2004, and Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his squad in order to kick on.
"We are really trying to improve the squad in every window," the Spaniard told football.london after Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Newcastle. "We’re trying to do our best because we cannot waste any windows still with the squad and the numbers that we have. We will try."
Their primary focus thus far has been a wide player. So far they have put in two bids for Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykhaylo Mudryk, although there is still some way to go before an agreement can be reached for the Ukrainian. There have been suggestions though that there January spending won't stop there.
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That is because of a long term injury sustained by Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian has been a key player for Arsenal since his summer arrival from Manchester City, but sustained a serious knee injury at the World Cup in Qatar.
In his absence Eddie Nketiah has stepped up, scoring two goals in three games so far. Despite that though, there are many who feel as though Arsenal should still be in the market for an out-and-out No.9 this month to avoid being caught short in the title race.
This has primarily been based on fears over how long Jesus could be out for. Reports have varied from saying he could be sidelined for four weeks to claiming that he won't return for three months. Arsenal meanwhile have been deliberately vague about a timescale for his comeback.
The 25-year-old had surgery last month, and it is understood that he has been responding well so far. He is now no longer walking on crutches and has remained heavily involved with the squad, visiting them in the dressing room during both of their Premier League home clashes against West Ham and Newcastle.
With these positive steps it is now unlikely that Arsenal will look to move for a centre-forward as things stand. The Gunners only extended Nketiah's contract this summer and are keen to give him his chance. On top of that there are also concerns about value for money in a window that is notoriously difficult to do business in. Meanwhile, Flo Balogun continues to impress on loan in France and Edu is keen to consider the long-term implications any arrival could have on the project at the Emirates Stadium rather than just the club's short term aims of winning the league title.
The hope is that Jesus will be able to return to action in order to help Arsenal's Premier League push. Until then, though, it seems the Gunners will look for internal solutions to his absence rather than a like-for-like addition from elsewhere.
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