Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal 'actively looking' to sign a new forward after Gabriel Jesus injury blow | OneFootball

Arteta says Gunners would be ‘naive’ if they were not seeking transfer reinforcements

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are “actively looking in the market to improve the squad” in January.

Bukayo Saka is out until at least March after tearing his hamstring last month and Gabriel Jesus is facing a long lay-off with the knee injury he sustained in Sunday’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United.

Arteta is keen to add to his squad, with Arsenal still fighting Liverpool in the title race and on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Gabriel Jesus is facing a long lay-off with the knee injury he sustained in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United

Mike Egerton/PA Wire

“My answer doesn’t change,” Arteta said, when asked about signing a new forward in the wake of Jesus’ injury.

“My answer remains the same. We are actively looking in the market to improve the squad and that has been since day one.

“We would be naive not to do that because it is an opportunity, always, to evolve the team and improve the squad - and especially with the circumstances that we have. So yes, we are looking and we are trying - and let’s see what we are able to do.

“When you have to recruit a player there are three parties and you have to agree to that. And we have our limitations as well, like any other club.

“So, we can do what we can do and we plan our squad, and we have our limits to do what we want to do - and that’s it.

“The fact that I love, a lot, our players doesn’t mean that we cannot think about improving and not that we are stubborn.

“We all want the same, use every opportunity to improve the squad daily and, when the market comes in, if we can do that to make sure [we have] the best resources and the best capacity to compete in the manner that we want.”