‘We’ll be in the market, always active’: Mikel Arteta vows to try and find a player to take his Arsenal side ‘to the next level’ in January… as the Gunners look to replace the injured Gabriel Jesus
- Gabriel Jesus picked up a serious knee injury while playing for Brazil in Qatar
- He could be sidelined for around three months after undergoing surgery
- Mikel Arteta has insisted Arsenal will be actively trying to replace him in January
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal cannot afford to waste this January transfer window as they look to cement their five-point lead atop the Premier League.
The league leaders could be without Gabriel Jesus for up to three months after he suffered a knee injury that required surgery, while Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remains out and Reiss Nelson will also miss ‘weeks not days’ after damaging his hamstring in a recent friendly against Juventus.
Arsenal are looking to bolster their attacking options next month, with talks underway over a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Gabriel Jesus picked up a knee injury while playing for Brazil at the World Cup in Qatar
He has since undergone surgery and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines
Mikel Arteta has vowed to try to replace Jesus in the January transfer window
Another centre back and central midfielder are also on Arsenal’s wishlist and Arteta says the Gunners cannot rest on their laurels despite their fine start to the campaign.
‘We will always be active in the market and we will assess the biggest opportunities that we have,’ he said.
‘We are looking to strengthen the team. This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not maximising every single window. We have to do that because it’s really important.’
But he added: ‘We have to get the right profile, it has to be the right player to take us to the next level.’
Eddie Nketiah, the only other natural No 9 in Arsenal’s squad, is set to lead the line on Boxing Day against West Ham, when Arsenal could also be without Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (muscle problem).
Arteta and sporting director Edu met with owner Stan Kroenke earlier this month and the manager insisted they are prepared to spend on the squad.
‘The ambition is there and the alignment is certainly there as well,’ he said.
Arteta and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu will be ‘extremely cautious’ with letting players go in January
Defender Cedric Soares is in talks with Fulham over a move away from the Emirates but Arteta, who has previously admitted Arsenal are short of numbers, hinted they will not rush into letting players leave.
‘We know where we are in terms of the squad and numbers that we have. We’ll be extremely cautious about what we want to do in the window,’ he said.
Nine of Arsenal’s squad have already played more than 1,000 minutes in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Among those to have started every match is William Saliba, who is due back from World Cup duty with France today (Friday). He made only one substitute appearance in Qatar and will have had minimal preparation before the Premier League returns. But Arteta has not ruled out throwing the defender straight back in.
‘It depends on how he comes back,’ he said.
‘We have the data on what he’s done in training. In terms of minutes, he didn’t participate much but it was a huge experience for him. When he gets back we’ll see.’
Arteta could throw William Saliba straight back into the team after his run to the World Cup final with France
Arteta added: ‘We have, of course, a lot of contact but it’s one thing on the phone and another in person when you can actually talk to him directly, see how he is in training and see how he gets the rhythm.’
Arsenal won all but two of their 14 matches before the World Cup.
Arteta conceded that losing Jesus is a ‘huge blow’ but said Arsenal must try and recreate the momentum they built before the break.
‘We need to do that on the pitch. We have talked a lot about it. We know the importance of starting strong. We play at home,’ he said.
‘The season has challenges, that’s a challenge we have to overcome, but if you’re going to be at the top there’s going to be those challenges.’
He is not expecting any hangovers for those players who have been at the World Cup.
‘They were buzzing to be back and part of it. I feel a really good energy around the place.’
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