“Either they sign him for me or I resign”: Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta disagreed with the club’s board over
Mikel Arteta confirmed Arsenal have identified attacking targets to sign in the last ten days of the January transfer window, adding that the club lacked “goals, people, and options in the front line”.
Gabriel Jesus’ anterior cruciate ligament injury means at present Kai Havertz is the Gunners’ only recognised striker. Arteta added that he consulted with his players on who to sign.
Mikel Arteta revealed that Arsenal have identified potential attacking targets to sign in the January transfer window.
Gabriel Jesus’ anterior cruciate ligament injury, which could keep the Brazilian out for a year, has meant that Kai Havertz is Arsenal’s sole recognised striker.
As a result, Arsenal have been widely linked with the likes of RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Wolves skipper Matheus Cunha this January.
While Arteta refused to talk about individual targets, he admitted work was taking place behind the scenes to bring in a forward this month.
“My opinion is clear,” Arteta said. “We lost two very important players in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, so we lack goals, people, and options in the front line.
“It’s clear that for the period that we have lost them, ideally we need some help, because we were short already and we’re even shorter. The team has still coped with that but we have do what is right for the club.
“If we can get the right player, that’s what we are actively looking at, but any player – no, we need someone that makes us better and makes an impact on the team.
“We have very, very short numbers for many, many weeks and they recognise the situation, we all do. That’s why we are trying to do what is right for the club, the team, that’s our intention.”
When asked if Arsenal have identified potential targets, Arteta answered: “Yes.”
Arteta added that he was consulting with his players regarding who to sign in the coming ten days.
He explained: “I always do it, especially if they know them because that’s getting us away from the computer and what the data is saying and it is real.
“I have seen it, I sense it. A player can score a lot of goals, great. How does this player react when he hasn’t scored for six or seven games? This is what I am interested in.
“What kind of goals does he score? Against which teams, in which context? Is it first half or second half? Is it only with his right foot, only headers, only in open spaces? Does he like the physical contact of this league?
“There are a lot of things. So when you have a player that has spent a lot of days with him, that is really valuable information to have.”
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