2 hours ago
2 ARTICLE AD
Published February 4, 2025 3:12pm Updated February 4, 2025 3:13pm
Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal were left disappointed after their failure to sign a new forward during the transfer window, but he remains confident he has enough firepower at his disposal.
After the injuries sustained by Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, the Gunners were expected to bring in reinforcements and were heavily linked to the likes of Ollie Watkins, Mathys Tel and Benjamin Sesko.
Arteta was unwilling to expand on the reasons those deals failed to materialise, or divulge any details on the targets they chased, amid reports they considered a late move for Alvaro Morata.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle, he said: ‘We had a clear intention which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad.
‘With players with injuries, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it.
‘We are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kinds of players and we have to be very disciplined with that as well.
‘When you try your best and do things, you see the people and we share the same intentions, when you don’t achieve it okay, for sure there are things to learn from it.
‘But you have to move on and that is a piece that was important in the moment, but now we’ve moved on.’
‘It’s in the profile, a player that can make us better. Financially there is a lot of ways, a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there try to improve.’
Without the additional firepower he openly admitted he craved, Arteta will be forced to rely heavily on the much maligned Kai Havertz over the course of the coming months.
The Germany international scored his 15th goal of the campaign in last weekend’s emphatic 5-1 win over Manchester City, having earlier added to his catalogue of scarcely believable misses.
Despite his often erratic finishing, Havertz’s value to the Arsenal cause was never better illustrated than by the selfless display against the champions on Sunday.
The former Chelsea star has been a virtual ever-present over the course of a hectic schedule that has seen Arsenal play every three days since the start of December.
Arteta, however, insists he possesses several players who can deputise for Havertz, even if their inclusion in a central role would come with the need to change tactics.
The Arsenal manager said: ‘We are going to have to be flexible in the front line, the ones we have we have to make sure they stay fit and are contributing, can play in that position.
‘Raheem (Sterling) has played in that position, Ethan (Nwaneri) I think can play in that position, (Gabriel) Martinelli, so lets see in relation to how everybody is in the moment, the opponent.
‘But at some point I think we will have to try something different.’
MORE: Mathys Tel explains decision to join Tottenham after Arsenal and Man Utd links
MORE: Enzo Maresca admits he’s been ‘unfair’ on £52m Chelsea star
