Mikel Arteta Speaks on Arsenal Signing Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney in January Transfer Window

Mikel Arteta faces a challenging reality at Arsenal amid talks of signing a new striker in the January transfer window.

Despite the Gunners’ efforts against Liverpool in the FA Cup, where they took an impressive 18 shots, the lack of goal conversion led to a disappointing 2-0 defeat.

Arsenal’s struggle to find the net persisted despite close attempts from Saka, Havertz, Nelson, and Odegaard. Arteta’s side showcased dominance in the first half, only to succumb to an unfortunate own goal by Jakub Kiwior and a late strike by Luis Diaz.

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The absence of Gabriel Jesus due to a minor knee injury was notable, although sources suggest it’s not a severe setback for the Brazilian forward, bringing relief to the Gunners’ camp.

However, Arteta hinted that the prospects of acquiring a new striker in the current transfer window seem less feasible considering the team’s recent performance.

Arsenal icon Ian Wright echoed the opinion of supporters after pleading for his former club to sign a ‘killer’ to help solve their goalscoring issues. However, Arteta has offered a sobering response following the defeat to Liverpool.

“At the moment, it does not look realistic,” the Arsenal boss said when asked about the possibility of signing a new striker this month. “What my job is, and what we have to do is improve our players and try to get better results with the players we have.”

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Arsenal have been linked with the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, but both players would cost a significant amount of money.

The Gunners are in a precarious position financially and would need to sell players before they can sign a new striker in order to abide Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations after a huge spending spree in the summer.

When asked about whether the fans are right to call for a new striker, Arteta responded: “What I beg from the supporters is that they are behind the team like they have been in difficult moments. Stick behind the ones that we have.

“They are incredibly good. If not then they don’t do what they’ve done today and in Anfield.

“Stick by them. That’s exactly what they need. Then they feel important and supported. With their attitude they don’t deserve anything different. That’s my opinion.”