Arsenal face a daunting task to challenge for the Premier League title after a spate of injuries this term, which may force manager Mikel Arteta to target January transfers.
The Gunners may sit third in the Premier League standings through the first 15 games of the season. But Arsenal trail early-leaders Liverpool by six points and have played a match more than the Anfield natives, ahead of hosting the Reds’ Merseyside rivals Everton this Saturday.
Arsenal will also welcome Everton to north London on the back of the Emirates Stadium side failing to beat Fulham last time out. Arteta had to settle for seeing his side draw 1-1, yet they bounced back in style in midweek as Arsenal beat AS Monaco 3-0 in the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta cagey on Arsenal’s January transfer plans as ‘surprises’ discussed
Injury problems would tempt Arteta to start Arsenal academy product Myles Lewis-Skelly on Wednesday night, though. The 18-year-old made his first start in the Champions League due to Arteta being without Oleksandr Zinchenko and Riccardo Calafiori, plus Gabriel Magalhaes.
Fellow defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu also remain out with long-term issues as Arsenal’s injury situation continues to cause Arteta concerns but transfers in the winter sales are not guaranteed. Arteta does not predict the Gunners will be overly active in the window.
READ MORE: The top five most injured Arsenal players in 2023/24
Yet never say never as Arteta has left a door open for Arsenal to be active during the January transfer window if any suitable ‘surprises’ present themselves. But the manager’s main hope for the winter is that Arsenal’s injury situation swiftly eases and he can field a healthy squad.
“I never expect January to be super busy, but we have to wait and see where we are,” Arteta said in his press conference this Friday. “Some surprises can come, we are prepared for that, some opportunities, as well, and we have to see.
“Hopefully, the squad availability is going to be better in a few weeks, so we will have to wait and see.”
Mikel Arteta may need Arsenal to find ‘surprise’ January deals for attacking signings
Injury problems have ruined Arsenal’s hopes of finally toppling Manchester City and winning the Premier League title this season after finishing second in each of the past two terms. But fans dreaming of reinforcements might not have much hope after Arteta’s cagey comments.
Arteta has rarely been able to field a consistent defence so far with summer signing Calafiori already missing six of Arsenal’s 15 Premier League fixtures, plus White missing six, Tomiyasu sitting out 14 and Zinchenko watching five from the sidelines owing to their injury problems.
READ MORE: How much Arsenal paid to sign every 2024/25 first-team squad player in the transfer market
Yet Arteta does not expect Arsenal to be busy in the January transfer market as the Gunners still rank second across the Premier League defensively, having conceded 15 goals during 15 games. Only Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than Arsenal with 11 over 14 matches yet.
Instead, it is offensively where Arteta may need Arsenal to find some ‘surprise’ deals, having scored 29 goals to rank joint-fourth with Liverpool. Chelsea with 35 plus Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford with 31 goals lead the league, also gifting the Blues a superior goal difference.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
