Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal are still not in a position to take a transfer window off, just days before deals can be completed again.
The Gunners sit at the top of the Premier League, five points clear of nearest rivals Manchester City. That first half of the season has bred fresh optimism that Arsenal could win their first title in almost 20 years.
Arteta has been well backed during his time in charge and has radically overhauled the playing staff since taking over at the end of 2019. Gabriel Jesus was the marquee signing of the summer window, arriving in a deal worth £45million from City.
But the Brazilian, who has made an immediate impact at the Emirates, is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury at the World Cup.
That had been tipped as a factor in Arteta and sporting director Edu forcing a move when the window reopens. However, the Spaniard is adamant that the state of the squad means that regardless of injury issues, Arsenal have to be active in the market.
He explained: “We will be in the market always active and we will assess the biggest opportunities that we have. We are going to be active and being active means we are always going to be looking to strengthen the team.
“This squad doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window and we have to do that because it’s really important. But then we want to get the right profile and the right player and a player that is going to impact the team and take us to the next level.”
Arteta’s warning comes on the heels of a request to the club’s owners that he will need “more resources” and “more players” to deal with the demands of battling on multiple fronts. Arsenal suffered a late-season collapse last term, costing them a place in the top four, with arch-rivals Tottenham pipping them at the last.
There is a sense that lessons have been learned from that failure, where a lack of squad depth was Arsenal's downfall. Arteta travelled Stateside during the break for the World Cup and, in an interview with Jamie Carragher, told the Americans in no uncertain terms that he needed to be backed again.
How will Arsenal fare in Gabriel Jesus' absence? Have your say in the comments!
“We are going to be playing every three days,” Arteta said during the special Monday Night Football episode on Sky Sports. “The congestion and the amount of games we have to play is going to be incredible. We are going to have to have more resources and more players to be able to do that.”
Arteta spoke glowingly about his relationship with the Kroenkes and claimed his relationship with Arsenal's owners only continues to improve. “We are always connected, I think that relationship is getting stronger and stronger,” he added. “They’ve been over many times, we’ve been there a few times as well and it’s a special relationship. The ambition is there and the alignment is there as well."
Arsenal’s Premier League season resumes on Boxing Day when they face West Ham in north London, before games against Brighton and Newcastle to start the new year.
