Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta, reveals that he plans on trimming down his squad size, while also diving into the transfer market with plans to bolster his squad before the close of the window.
According to reports, Arsenal are seeking to offload several first-team players, including star midfielder Mesut Ozil and midfield outcasts Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira as they have more than 33 first-team players on their books.
Speaking in an interview, ahead of Arsenal’s league opener on Saturday, Arteta said: “Number-wise, some positions are overbooked,” he told a news conference. “Some others are in terms of the specific qualities we need, they are still not there.
“It is going to be very difficult to achieve what we want in one or two windows. It is a process, it has to be evolving and most importantly it has to be a sustainable model that we can consistently fit in, as well of course using our academy players.
“We are still active in the market; we are looking at different options. We are active in the market with players in and out, at the moment the squad balance is not ideal and what we want to achieve.
“There is still some work to do but we have to bear in mind the complications of this market. The complexity and as well the timing because you can see that clubs are behaving in many different ways and it is a bit uncertain how this is going to evolve in the next few weeks.”
Arsenal Still in Hunt for Lyon’s Houssem Aouar
Arsenal are reportedly stepping up the chase for French ace Houssem Aoaur, after talks stalled for the midfielder when Lyon president Juninho told RMC Sport he wasn’t interested in a swap deal involving Matteo Guendouzi.
He earlier said: “I get on very well with the Sporting Director (Edu),” Juninho said. “We spoke on the phone. Houssem Aouar is really well liked by Arteta.
“There were some discussions for Mattéo Guendouzi, who is also a good player.
“He was brought up during the discussion. But we don’t need his profile, we were very clear.
“If it is like that, we are not interested at all, we cut the conversation, that is where things ended.”
However, Arsenal has been handed a boost in their chase dor the midfield genius after Lyon dropped the midfielder for their Ligue 1 clash Bordeaux.
The 22-year-old started from the bench, with Karl Toko Ekambi taking his place in the starting eleven, fueling speculation over his Lyon future.
L’Equipe claims the midfielder is in search of a fresh challenge and a move to the Premier League might just offer him the challenge he desires.
