Arsenal are planning to back Mikel Arteta with funds in the January transfer window, prioritising a creative midfield acquisition.

The Daily Mail report that at least in the short-term, the Arsenal hierarchy are planning to back Mikel Arteta fully, rather than jumping to make a change.

They’ll make funds available to Arteta in January to strengthen the team, targeting a creative midfielder, unsurprisingly.

Though Arsenal do have problems with their finishing, particularly since that win against Manchester United in November, their primary issue is a lack of creativity.

Teams like Everton and Spurs won their matchups against Arteta simply by sitting back, knowing their opponent wouldn’t break them down. The fact it actually worked in both cases is a worrying sign for Arsenal fans.

The board only have two realistic options right now. Either stand by Arteta and allow him to sign who he wants to address the current crisis, or change managers. With the season going as badly as it is, sitting around and waiting isn’t a possibility.

Dominik Szoboszlai is already off the table, joining RB Leipzig, but Houssem Aouar is still available after his summer move didn’t come off.

Emiliano Buendia is performing well for Norwich City and would surely welcome the step back up to the Premier League, or perhaps there’s another target we haven’t considered. We’re closing in on January now, so there’s no time to waste.