Arsenal may well have done a deal in January if not for Financial Fair Play regulations, according to a report.

Football.London claim that Arsenal’s lack of January signings wasn’t just because the club missed out on targets, but also that they weren’t able to get deals over the line due to Financial Fair Play regulations.

The good news is that the same source adds that this isn’t expected to be an issue by summer, with several players on high salaries leaving.

The prospect of returning to European football of some form – particularly if it’s Champions League football – would also be a big help.

It’s not clear which deals Arsenal might have done if not for the financial restrictions, but it was evidently an obstacle.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by that, in the same week Arsenal have announced a post-tax loss of £107.3m for the year ending May 31st, 2021.

The return of fans to the stands will have helped somewhat, but Arsenal do need a bit more of an income boost before they can spend big again, after the money they invested last summer.

Arsenal will be hoping to bring in a centre-forward, a central midfielder, a backup right-back, and potentially another one from the first two categories this summer.

They can’t afford to be held up over financial restrictions by then.