Mikel Arteta replies when asked if Arsenal will make January signings

Mikel Arteta has insisted that he will try to bolster his Arsenal squad in the January transfer window as the Gunners look to maintain their title challenge.

The north Londoners were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Newcastle United at The Emirates on Tuesday night, a result which left the Gunners eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City ahead of the Citizens’ trip to Chelsea FC on Thursday night.

With Gabriel Jesus injured and tricky games against Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City on the horizon, Arsenal fans are expecting their club to bolster their options in January.

Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been strongly linked with a possible move to The Emirates this month – and reports in the British media this week have claimed that the player himself has said that he expects to end up at the north London club.

Arsenal boss Arteta said that the Gunners would do what they can to bolster their squad this month as they bid to sustain their impressive start to the season.

Asked about potential signings this month at his post-match news conference on Tuesday night, Arteta replied: “I don’t know, it’s a question for Edu and the board to respond.

“We are trying to improve the squad in every window. This is no different, we will do our best because we cannot waste any window with the squad numbers that we have so we shall try.”

Mikel Arteta (Photo: Marco Iacobucci / depositphotos.com)

Meanwhile, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes that it’s vital the Gunners strengthen their attacking options this month, especially in the wake of the goalless draw against the Magpies.

Speaking on Sky Sports after Tuesday’s draw, Neville said: “If you thought before the game that Arsenal needed a striker you’d certainly be thinking it now.

“Not that [Eddie] Nketiah hasn’t contributed or done well in the game, but there just isn’t really that option to make Arsenal.”

The former right-back added: “I do think Arteta should have something more to call upon on the bench when he’s trying to change the flow of a game at the end, and he will need to go into the transfer market.

“Arsenal can win the league here. When are they going to be in that position again? You don’t know. So can the Arsenal board find those two players who can come off the bench, or can maybe even improve the first XI, that would bolster Arsenal’s chances of winning that game and turning it from one point into three?

“They’ve got 21 more games still to go, they’re going to have a lot more of those. They might have games where they go a goal down, so they need something off the bench for Mikel Arteta to be able to go and get.”

Arsenal’s next game is their trip to take on Oxford United in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday night. After that, they will travel to take on north London rivals Tottenham in the league, before a crunch home clash against Manchester United.

The Gunners will face off with second-placed Manchester City at The Emirates on Wednesday 15 February.