Arsenal not looking for transfers in January to solve current crisis

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal director of football Edu insists the Gunners will not be forced into making major squad changes in the January transfer market despite the club’s current struggles.

The London side are in the middle of one of their worst starts to a Premier League season in the history of the competition, as they are currently down in 15th, having won just four of their opening 12 matches in 2020/21.

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They most recently lost 1-0 at home to Burnley, with manager Mikel Arteta subsequently having to deal with questions about his future.

With the January transfer window coming up, there is a general feeling that Arsenal need improvements in certain areas, particularly in the final third where they are lacking creativity.

Judging by Edu’s words, though, there won’t be significant incomings.

“We don’t talk about [player transfers] external,” he said.

“We are here to solve the problem. We have the team, we have the squad, we have the manager, we have the staff, everyone in the right place to change it.

“Why (do) people have to expect a magician to go ‘boom! Come here, Messi! Boom!’? No. It depends on us.

Arsenal Transfers 2020/21:

“People might start to ask: ‘what are you going to do in the winter window?’ Of course we will try to do something but we have the responsibility to change it. Don’t wait for someone outside to come inside and be a magician because that’s not going to happen.

“Or if you can sign 20 players – which we’re not going to do – but that’s not going to work anyway. So the main problem, the main thing for me, is that we, as a club, have to understand our problem. Here. That’s it. Believe, because we believe. I believe.”

Like every club in Europe, Arsenal were victims of the coronavirus crisis as the pandemic hit them hard financially, with a series of staff layoffs bringing the club some negative press over the summer.

They still managed to make two major signings, though, with Gabriel arriving from Lille for £23.4m [€25.6m] and Thomas Partey joining from Atletico Madrid for £45m [€49.5m].

FootballTransfers previously looked at who could potentially replace Arteta as Arsenal manager should the club decide to part ways with the Spaniard.