Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta has expressed his disappointment at Arsenal’s lack of activity in the January transfer window ahead of their EFL Cup clash with Newcastle United on Wednesday.
The Gunners were one of five Premier League teams not to make a signing in January, leaving Mikel Arteta disappointed by that outcome.
Arteta’s side were one of five clubs, along with Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Fulham, that were unable to bring in any signings at the halfway stage of the 2024-25 EPL campaign.
Arsenal were expected to bring in a striker after Gabriel Jesus picked up a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, while Bukayo Saka is also still sidelined with a hamstring problem.
The Gunners were linked with a host of names throughout the window, with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Benjamin Sesko and Martin Zubimendi all reported targets for Arteta but failed to sign any.
Kai Havertz, who scored in Arsenal’s 5-1 thrashing of champions Manchester City on Sunday, is Arsenal’s only recognized striker at the moment, and Arteta has acknowledged that his side will have to be flexible and try something different because of injuries.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Ben White are other notable absentees for the Gunners, but Arteta said his team must move on from their frustrations in the transfer window and focus on challenging on all fronts for the remainder of the season.
“We had a clear intention, which is always when a window opens to explore the opportunities to improve our squad,” Arteta told reporters on Tuesday.
“With players with injuries, we’ve been impacted and we haven’t achieved it.
“We are disappointed in that sense, but also, 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. If 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 at the moment, but now we’ve moved on.”
Arsenal’s big victory over Man City on Sunday saw them extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 14 games (W9 D5), with such feat last coming in the 2018/19 season under current Aston Villa boss, Unai Emery in December 2018 (also 14).
Mikel Arteta and his team will be hoping to use Sunday’s momentum to overturn their 2-0 deficit against Newcastle in their second leg EFL Cup clash with Newcastle at St James’ Park on Wednesday.
The Gunners lost the first leg to Eddie Howe’s side at the Emirates Stadium after goals came in from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon in both halfs each.
“When you compare the emotions of the team after the defeat and today, it’s different because we come from very strong performances, especially the one against City,” he said.
“It is a moment [for] full gas and [we’re] ready to go for it and approach it in a way where we can reach the final.
“The next stop is the final at Wembley, we know how it is and you can feel it.
“The buzz that the game gave us against City and in the manner that we did it. We’re going to give it a real go.”
