Mikel Arteta has ruled out moves for two players who have been linked with Arsenal.
The Gunners are in desperate need of a forward reinforcement, as Bukayo Saka is out until March after undergoing hamstring surgery and Gabriel Jesus is sidelined with an ACL injury.
These setbacks leave Arteta with just Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling as senior attacking options in his squad.
Benjamin Sesko is a target for Arsenal, although it remains to be seen as to whether RB Leipzig will be willing to sanction the Slovenian’s depature this month.
Thus, alternatives may have to be identified, although Arteta seemingly isn’t considering two names who have been mooted.
Mikel Arteta rules out Arsenal signing Marcus Rashford or Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Arteta has tended to recruit from within the Premier League throughout his tenure at the Emirates, adding the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Havertz, Trossard and Sterling to his ranks.
This approach has validated certain reports indicating that the Gunners are interested in Marcus Rashford and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.
Arsenal have made contact with Rashford over the prospect of taking the player on loan for the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, Arteta is a fan of Dewsbury-Hall, and the North Londoners have been suggested as a potential suitor for the forgotten man at Stamford Bridge.
However, speaking in his press conference today, Arteta dismissed the idea of terminating Sterling or Neto’s loans this month.
This indirectly means that temporary deals for Rashford or Dewsbury-Hall won’t be possible due to a Premier League ruling which states that a club can’t have more than two domestic loan signings in their squad at one time.
While both players would be useful to Arsenal, they won’t be arriving in N5 unless Arteta and the club’s hierarchy are willing to stump up a fee.
Should Arsenal pay for Rashford or Dewsbury-Hall?
Arsenal are in need of a wide forward who can score goals, while they also require an attacking midfielder to provide cover and competition for Martin Odegaard.
Rashford may not have hit the heights for Manchester United that he promised as a youngster, but he certainly still possesses the talent to thrive at the highest level.
If Arsenal were able to negotiate a minimal fee for the player late in the window, and a lower wage, then the England international would be worth a punt.
The Gunners could also do a lot worse than Dewsbury-Hall.
Arteta can offer the ex-Leicester man a more prominent role than he currently has at Chelsea, and he’d allow Odegaard to rest from time to time.
However, a loan deal would be a better option for the creative midfielder, and Arsenal should avoid forking out a significant fee for the Chelsea outcast.
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