Mikel Arteta has tended to be very coy when it comes to transfers and the strategy of the club for upcoming windows. However, perhaps the Arsenal manager has finally provided some hope to supporters that the upcoming January market will be used to help cover the recent blow to the side.
Gabriel Jesus’ injury during the World Cup left him needing surgery and a potential three-month period of recovery. It meant Arsenal were down to just one natural senior striker in Eddie Nketiah and mixed performances across the mid-season friendlies failed to grow confidence.
Perhaps it is therefore unsurprising to see Mikel Arteta speak about the potential for a solution to be found in the January transfer window. In an interview with Arsenal.com, Arteta details the impact of Jesus’ absence and the strategies to cope with it.”
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“It's a huge blow for us, obviously,” Arteta explained. “He's such an important player: he's brought something very different to the team and it's impossible to replace him.
“But we have other players, other alternatives and we'll try to get that sorted. The transfer window is another option.”
Arteta continues by caveating that the club has alternative options in-house too. Gabriel Martinelli is mentioned as the named example but the Spaniard has referenced both Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira as options in the past.
“I think [Jesus] is a unique player but Eddie has incredible qualities as well for the way we want to play. We have other alternatives in that we can play Martinelli up front as well," he said.
“We are currently a little bit short in terms of upfront positions but getting Emile back is going to be a big one.”
With this in mind, there is therefore the potential for sporting director Edu to be considering adding a second forward to his wish list this winter. football.london understands that the club were, prior to Jesus’ injury, looking at a wide forward and a midfielder to reinforce the squad.
A midfielder could yet still be signed. However, the injury to Jesus certainly has emphasised the lack of depth in the forward line. This has only been made worse by the hamstring injury suffered by Reiss Nelson, although the length of any absence remains unknown at the moment.
Mykhaylo Mudryk remains the priority for the Gunners and discussions over a potential deal are ongoing. Who the forward to support Nketiah might be is not clear, although Joao Felix’s name has been suggested but at a price that makes any move unrealistic.
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