Arsenal are five point clear ahead of defending champions Manchester City before the Premier League stop for the just concluded World Cup.
The boss Mikel Arteta reveals Arsenal will be ‘active’ in the January transfer window and target ‘next level’ signings as they look to maintain a Premier League title challenge.
Winter transfer will be viewed as an opportunity to bolster Arsenal squad, which has already been depleted by the injury to star striker Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta asked about the club’s transfer plans ahead of the winter window
‘We are going to be active, and active means always looking to strengthen the team.
‘This squad still doesn’t have the luxury of not maximizing every single window and we have to do that because it’s really important.
‘But then we want to get the right profile, the right player and a player that is really going to impact the team and take us to the next level.’
Gabriel Jesus was one of Arsenal’s most creativity players in the first-half of the season, with the Brazilian impressing following a £50m move from Man City last summer.
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But he could now be sidelined for up to three months after suffering a knee injury during match against Cameroon in the World Cup.
Arsenal are also concerned about an injury Reiss Nelson suffered in a recent friendly against Juventus, while Emile Smith Rowe has been out since September with a groin problem.
Arteta:
‘With Gabby [Jesus] it’s very difficult to put a timeframe [on his recovery].
It was a significant injury and knowing him, I prefer not to give any dates away.
‘With Reiss unfortunately he picked up an injury in the game against Juventus and he is going to be out for a while I think.
Emile is close, he is starting to train again. He had a little setback but he is in a good place.’
On whether Jesus will be out for three months:
‘I never gave a date so that’s not the words that I used, and I haven’t used any words right now.
‘I said that we don’t know, it will take some time for sure.
Obviously, he’s going through surgery so that’s the extent of the injury.’
Arsenal return to domestic action with a home Premier League derby against West Ham on Boxing Day, and could extend their lead to eight points, with Man City playing two days later.
