Mikel Arteta insists that Arsenal are working to make new signings ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline, but it’s largely out of his hands.
Arsenal fans are desperate to see their club make some first-team additions ahead of transfer deadline day on Monday, February 3rd.
The club are lacking centre-forward and wing options, with clamour for attacking signings even before the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. But those injuries have obviously put the team in even more dire need.
Mikel Arteta faced more questions about the situation in his press conference on Friday, but he insisted that while he’s confident the club are doing all they can, it’s ultimately not his call.
“I’m very confident with the work that the club is doing and exploring every single opportunity that we believe can have an impact on the team,” Arteta said. “That’s certainly the case and if we can agree something we will. If not, we won’t.
“We are trying everything that we can, but I don’t want to give any reassurance or not. I don’t know, it doesn’t depend only on us, so our intention is clear but the possibilities are affected by three parties.
“[Whether Arsenal sign a striker] doesn’t depend on us. We have the intention, purpose and ambition to try to help the team and support the squad to be better and to finish the season really strong, and we are actively trying to do that.”
Arsenal made a move this week to try and sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa, but that bid seems destined to fail given Villa’s decision to sell Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr FC.
The Gunners could turn to Mathys Tel of Bayern Munich, with reports throughout January suggesting the forward is keen to leave for more minutes.
But there are lots of clubs competing for that signing, and recent reports suggest the player may even decide to stay with Bayern.
If not Tel, it’s hard to see which players are attainable and able to raise the level of Arsenal’s squad this month. The club are running out of time now.