Mikel Arteta says Edu is in charge of executing Arsenal’s plan for the January transfer window while he focuses on his side’s busy Christmas schedule.
Having prioritised the recruitment of Gabriel and Thomas Partey in the summer, the Gunners, who are struggling for goals this season, are widely expected to try and sign an attacking midfielder.
Emi Buendia, Norwich’s 23-year-old Argentine, and Houssem Aouar, the Lyon playmaker, have both been tipped as possible targets although it’s unclear at this point whether circumstances will allow for further additions.
As has been well-documented, Arsenal already have too many non-homegrown players on the books and will need to loan or sell existing stars to make room for new faces.
Asked about his plans to strengthen his squad, Arteta said: “The plan is done; what we want to do in January and what we want to do in the summer.
“Sometimes you can do it, sometimes not. It depends on a lot of factors. Edu is dealing with that at the moment. I am focused with all the games, I don’t have much time to expend energy now on that. It’s clear what we want to do.”
Asked what might happen if the Gunners can’t do what they want, the boss added: “My job is to make the most out of this squad, the players that we have.
“We know what we want to do and we will try to execute it knowing that the actual context, the market and what we have been through makes it difficult.”
Given our current malaise and the financial impact of the pandemic, it’ll be interesting to see if the owners choose to back Arteta. At the tail-end of last season, the Spaniard called on them to roll the dice and he eventually got the financial support he wanted. Persuading them to do the same again could prove more challenging.
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