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Mikel Arteta and Edu preparing Arsenal for ‘unpredictable’ January transfer window

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he and technical director Edu are making plans for the January transfer window ahead of what could be an “unpredictable” market.

The Gunners have made a slow start to the current campaign and, after losing to Wolves on Sunday, they currently sit 14th in the Premier League.

Arsenal have a tally of of 13 points and that is their lowest after their opening 10 matches of any league campaign since the 1981/82 season.

Arteta has admitted his team are still developing and there has been talk they could add to the squad in January.

The Gunners have been struggling for goals and they are tracking Red Bull Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai, while former Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen is an option as Inter Milan are ready to sell him.

And asked about the January transfer window, Arteta said: “We are planning, talking with Edu and with the club about the things we can do in January.

“But at the moment it's pretty difficult, unpredictable as well in terms of places we are very restricted in the moment.

“We’ll see what happens, I think things will move in the market, we will be prepared, we will need to do something knowing the limitations of that market in January and the limitations we have as well to sign players.”

If Arsenal do dip into the market in January, signing a new midfielder is likely to be their priority.

The team has struggled for goals and assists from midfield this season and Arteta has often spoken of his concerns around that.

<p>Former Tottenham midfielder Eriksen has been linked with Arsenal.</p>Action Images via Reuters

Former Tottenham midfielder Eriksen has been linked with Arsenal.

Action Images via Reuters

“It’s very clear. If you say: ‘Can they do it?’ It’s a question mark. Have they done it in the past? The answer is no,” he said.

“We haven’t had any goals from midfield, it’s not something that happened this year. It happened in other years and is something that has to be addressed.

“To change the qualities and characteristics of players is very, very difficult. So again, it’s necessary.

“A big team needs players in midfield who score goals. They need central defenders that score goals from set-pieces to add to that.

“If you start to lose those margins, you start to lose points, you start to be away from the top teams, this is not any science.”

Arsenal are back in action on Thursday when they take on Rapid Vienna in the Europa League at Emirates Stadium.

They may have struggled in the Premier League, but in Europe the Gunners have a perfect record of four wins from as many matches.

Arteta is hoping for another victory against Vienna and admitted the losses in the Premier League have hurt him.

“When you lose two games, three games at home, it’s like: ‘Wow’,” said Arteta.

“It’s like having a stab here in your chest. It’s not acceptable and we have to change it – we can say: ‘Yeah but the referee did that, he didn’t score, we should have done that’.

“[But] this is where we are, let’s change it.”

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