Arsenal are monitoring the defensive market ahead of the January transfer window, but they haven’t yet made a decision on whether to sign a player.
Isaan Khan reports for the Daily Mail that whilst Arsenal feel their current squad has the depth and capability to win the Premier League title, the club are nonetheless monitoring the market for potential defensive signings.
A final decision over whether or not to bring in a defender reportedly depends on whether more injuries occur between now and the end of the window, or if the current batch of injured players end up sidelined for longer than expected.
As it stands, the expectation is that all of Arsenal’s defenders will be back in action by the end of January, with only Max Dowman currently ruled out for longer than that.
But there’s little clarity on Riccardo Calafiori’s situation, with the left-back missing the last couple of games and no clear timeline on when exactly he’ll be back.
Cristhian Mosquera also remains out, and Ben White and Jurrien Timber only returned to the squad on Tuesday after absences of their own. The fact Myles Lewis-Skelly is the only Arsenal defender not to have suffered an injury this season is why the club will be thinking about a transfer.
From the sounds of things, Arsenal’s current investigations only constitute a backup plan, with the club ready to move if necessary but hoping to delay further signings until the summer if possible.